For example in Bihar, all the 10 assembly seats where byelections are scheduled, were held by the ruling Janata Dal. In Karnataka, the byelections are seen as an acid test for Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda as much as for his bete noire, expelled Janata Dal leader Ramakrishna Hegde. P V Narasimha Rao vacated the Nandyal Lok Sabha seat, but this time the Congress clearly has its back to the wall.
A closer look at some of the key states:
