CPI(M)-led LDF wins Kerala bypoll

Kottayam (Kerala), September 27

The ruling CPI(M) led LDF won the by-election to Pala assembly constituency, wresting the seat from the opposition Congress led UDF.

LDF candidate Mani C Kappen defeated Jose Tom Pulikkunel of the opposition Congress-led UDF in a closely contested fight.

Kappen, leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, defeated Pulikkunel, a faction leader of the Kerala Congress (M) by 2,943 votes.

Pala was a bastion of the Congress-led UDF, held by veteran leader and former Finance Minister K M Mani for the last five decades.

The bypoll was necessitated due to the demise of Mani in April.

The win has come as a huge relief to the LDF after its rout in the Lok Sabha polls.

The bypoll was viewed as an acid test for UDF and the BJP headed NDA as a victory would have given boost to the three major combines prospects in the by-elections to five more assembly constituencies scheduled for October 21.

Hamirpur

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Yuvraj Singh is leading in the Hamirpur Assembly bypoll.

An official said that Singh had already taken the lead in the tenth phase of counting. The BJP candidate had got 17,344 votes and the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate had got 14,067 votes with the BJP leading by 3,277 votes.

In the 11^th phase, the BJP got 19,221 and the SP got 15,288 votes.

In the 12^th phase, the BJP got 24,993 votes and the SP got 17,938 votes.

After 14 rounds of counting the BJP candidate was leading by over 8,295 votes over his SP rival.

The bye-election was necessitated after the disqualification of BJP MLA Ashok Singh Chandel, who was convicted in a 22-year-old murder case in May.

The bypoll to the seat was held on September 23, which recorded a turnout of 51 per cent. Agencies