NDA ahead in Orissa, Haryana; facing challenge in Bihar

Ruling Congress in Karnataka retained the Bellary Lok Sabha seat with an increased margin when its candidate Kolur Basavanagoud defeated his nearest BJP rival K S Veerabhadrappa by 96,446 votes. Sonia Gandhi had won the seat in October by a margin of over 56,000 votes. Among prominent winners in Haryana were Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, who defeated his brother and Congress nominee Ranjit Singh, in Rori and former Congress chief minister Bhajan Lal, who won from Adampur. In Orissa, Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal won in Laikera, Union Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik were leading in Hinjili but former Congress chief minister J B Patnaik was trailing in Athgarh.

RJD president Laloo Prasad Yadav was leading in both Raghopur and Danapur constituencies, while the leader of Opposition Sushil Kumar Modi was ahead in Patna Central. In the by-elections held in several states, BJP retained Pilibhit, Samajwadi Party Unnao and RLD led by Ajit Singh Nakur (all in UP). BJP also won Solan seat in Himachal Pradesh and retained Bhojpur in Madhya Pradesh but lost Jabalpur to Congress which also won Rajim. History was made when an eunuch Shabnam mausi won the Sohagpur Assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh defeating both BJP and Congress in the process. In an another interesting battle Shiv Sena’s Dinaz Patrawala wrested the prestigious Colaba seat in south Mumbai which had been won by her husband Marzaban Patrawala on Congress ticket. Dinaz had been denied nomination by Congress.