Things looking up for Congress: Amarinder Singh after BJP thumped in Gurdaspur

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh looked elated while sharing the news of Congress' thumping victory over the BJP and AAP in the Gurdaspur bypoll.

Speaking to the media, Singh said, "Happy occasion for us, we have also won in Kerala. It is a very good sign emerging on national scene."

Meanwhile, the BJP has blamed Gurdaspur loss on the Akalis. BJP National Secretary RP Singh told India Today, "Yes in Gurdaspur we lost. But generally the ruling party wins in by-elections. And it was a rural belt. Also there has been certain expose of Akali leaders that ensure the loss. In Kerala, we have made great progress. Gurdaspur loss is not going to impact Himachal Pradesh. It's a corrupt government there."

Notably, in Maharashtra Congress led by its state president Ashok Chavan on Thursday managed to halt the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) juggernaut in civic polls in Maharashtra by retaining its hold on the Nanded-Waghala Municipal Corporation (NWMC).

According to official sources in the State Election Commission Congress won 69 seats out of the 81 member civic body, a clear two-third majority. The poll swing in favor of the Congress is so huge that its ally in the opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Musalmeen (MIM) failed to open their account. The Shiv Sena too saw its 2012 tally of 14 seats nosedive to just one seat.

Similarly in Kerala, In a major relief for the opposition in Kerala, UDF candidate, KNA Khader of Indian Union Muslim league (IUML) has won the by-election in Vengara constituency.

Khader outplayed his rival P P Basheer of CPI(M) with a margin of 23,310 votes. The NDA slipped to 4th spot as BJP candidate K J Janachandran Master managed to get only 5728 votes.

WATCH | Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll: Congress' Sunil Jakhar wins seat by 1.93 lakh margin