The counting process for the by-elections in several Indian states commenced at 8 a.m. on Friday, marking a significant event in the electoral landscape. In Jharkhand, the counting for the Ghatshila Assembly seat, which became vacant due to the death of senior JMM leader and Education Minister Ramdas Soren, is taking place at Jamshedpur's Co-operative College. The venue is cordoned off, restricting access to authorized candidates and their agents only. Fifteen counting tables have been established, each supervised by assistant officials and micro-observers, with the final results anticipated by afternoon. The by-election, held on November 11, showcased a voter turnout of 74.63 percent, reflecting positive engagement from the electorate.

Simultaneously, the counting for the Jubilee Hills Assembly seat in Hyderabad is being conducted at the Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium. This seat was vacated following the demise of sitting BRS MLA Maganti Gopinath. The election, also held on November 11, saw dedicated security arrangements to ensure a smooth counting process. Amid the counting, JKNC leader Sheikh Bashir Ahmad expressed concern over the administration’s handling of the electoral processes, highlighting worries about bureaucracy and unaddressed complaints regarding electoral misconduct.

The anticipation surrounding these results is palpable, especially as they unfold against a backdrop of intense political competition among prominent candidates, such as Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of Congress, BRS's K T Rama Rao, and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy of the BJP. The empty seats in various constituencies arose due to the resignation of Omar Abdullah in Budgam and the disqualification of Kanwarlal in Rajasthan’s Anta. In total, elections were conducted in eight constituencies across Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana, Punjab, Mizoram, and Odisha, after the tragic passing of sitting legislators.

Voter turnout was variable across these states. Mizoram’s Dampa district registered the highest turnout at 82.3 percent, while other notable figures include Anta in Rajasthan with 80.3 percent and Nuapada in Odisha at 79.4 percent. In contrast, Jubilee Hills reported a turnout of only 48.5 percent. Election officials had to suspend two polling staff in Odisha for failing to uphold voting confidentiality, highlighting the challenges faced during the electoral process. As countdowns to the counting end, voters eagerly await the outcomes that will shape the political narrative in these regions.