Results for bye-elections to four Lok Sabha and eight Assembly constituencies in six states and one Union Territory were announced today. If they were a referendum on Narendra Modi government over the demonetisation initiative, the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre did win it.

The bye-elections for the 12 seats were held on November 19 - 11 days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the demonetisation move at 8 pm on November 8. Since then, a few opposition leaders like Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, and Delhi and West Bengal Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee respectively, are up in arms against PM Modi's decision.

While Rahul twice visited ATMs and banks to get a pulse of the people standing in serpentine queues, Kejriwal and Mamata have been vehemently protesting the Narendra Modi government's demonetisation measure. The two chief ministers have gone to the extent of demanding its rollback.

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Kejriwal went to the extreme step of demanding "Change PM, not notes". The Delhi CM's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) even quipped that if those standing in queues were allowed to also exercise their franchise, they will vote against the BJP governments at the Centre and in the states.

During a joint protest, held in a surcharged atmosphere in the national capital on November 17, both Kejriwal and Mamata had served an ultimatum to the Narendra Modi government to roll back the demonetisation initiative or face a revolt. The threat had come just two days before the bye-elections. It has been more than five days that the threat was issued. But there are no signs of any revolt from any part of the country.

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Besides, if Kejriwal, Mamata and Rahul Gandhi hoped to draw a political mileage out of their protests, the results of the bye-elections must have been disheartening for them. PM Narendra Modi's demonetisation drive would have been squarely blamed if BJP's performance would have worsened.

However, the Narendra Modi government has reasons to cheer. The BJP has not only succeeded in retaining all its seats it held before the bye-elections but it has won by larger margins. Congress managed to win just one Assembly seat Nellithope, vacated for Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy.

In BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, party leader Manju Dadu won Nepanagar Assembly seat by 40,600 votes. The party is leading by 10,800 votes on Shahdol Lok Sabha seat.

In Assam, BJP is leading with 24,312 votes on Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat. In West Bengal, Mamata's Trinamool Congress (TMC) is leading by 34,842 votes on Cooch Behar Lok Sabha seat.

In Tamil Nadu, AIADMK is leading on Thiruparankundram and Aravakurichi Assembly seats.

In Tripura, CPM has retained both Barjala and Khowai Assembly seats.