Bypoll results 2017: TTV Dinakaran wins RK Nagar, TMC in West Bengal; BJP victorious in UP and Arunachal

The bypoll elections in four states had taken place on December 21. (Illustration/C R Sasikumar)

In the closely-watched bypoll for Chennai’s RK Nagar constituency, TTV Dinakaran emerged victorious with a massive margin of over 40,000 votes. The sidelined AIADMK leader is all set to make his debut in the state assembly.

Here are the results of bye-election on various seats across states:

Radhakrishnan Nagar, Tamil Nadu

TTV Dinakaran, sidelined AIADMK leader, won the seat by a margin of 40,707 votes clocking over 89,000 electoral in his favours. Dinakaran had earlier hinted that the people of Tamil Nadu were vying for a regime change in the state. The results indicate a tough path ahead for the OPS-EPS duo in the state. AIADMK leader E. Madhusudhanan received 48,306 votes while DMK’s N. Marudhu Ganesh got 24,651, BJP’s Karu Nagarajan could barely manage 1,417 votes at the end of counting. BJP was trumped by NOTA on the seat.

RK Nagar pics of Stalin, TTV and a pic of crowd waiting for TTV.on Tuesday, December 19, 2017. Express photo by Arun Janardhanan.

Sabang, West Bengal

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal wrested the Sabang Assembly seat from the Congress by defeating its nearest rival, the CPI(M), by a massive margin of over 64,000 votes. TMC’s Gita Rani Bbhunia secured 1,06,179 votes while CPM emerged second after registering 41,987 votes while BJP came third after receiving 37,476 votes. The results came as a booster for the TMC and the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, ahead of the panchayat polls and two by-elections — in Noapara Assembly constituency and Uluberia Lok Sabha seat — due early next year.

PM Modi expressed, “Happy to see a significant rise in the BJP’s vote share in Sabang, West Bengal. I thank the people for their support and assure them that BJP will leave no stone unturned in serving West Bengal.”

Pakke-Kessang and Likabali, Arunachal Pradesh

In a stellar performance, the BJP wrested both Pakke-Kessang and Likabali Assembly seats from the Congress in the by-elections in Arunachal Pradesh. The party boasted its strength to 49 in the 60 member assembly. BR Waghe of the BJP won the Pakke-Kessang seat by a narrow margin of 475 votes, defeating his lone rival and former deputy chief minister, Kameng Dolo of the Congress. In the Likabali seat, BJP’s Kardo Nyigyor won by a slender margin of 305 votes, defeating his nearest rival, Gumke Riba of the PPA. Over 68.5 per cent electors had cast their votes in the December 21 polls, with Pakke-Kessang recording an 86 per cent voter turnout and Likabali 51 per cent.

Prime Minister congratulated the BJP workers in the state and said, “I thank the people of Likabali and Pakke Kesang in Arunachal Pradesh for reposing their faith in BJP. We derive immense strength from this affection and remain committed to transforming the Northeast.”

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu termed the BJP winning the by-election to the Pakke-Kessang and Likabali assembly seats as a perfect Christmas gift to the party. “This Christmas celebration has become all the more special. People of the two constituencies (Likabali and Pakke-Kessang) have shown that they are with good governance and development,” he said.

Sikandra, Uttar Pradesh

The BJP retained the Sikandra Assembly seat of bandit Phoolan Devi fame in a bypoll by a margin of over 11,000 votes. BJP’s Ajit Singh Pal secured 73,284 votes (44.86 per cent), while his nearest rival, Seema Sachan of the Samajwadi Party (SP), bagged 61,423 votes (37.60 per cent). Pal won the seat by a margin of over 11000 votes. While the SP and Congress had contested the state Assembly polls, held earlier this year, in an alliance, the two parties had decided to go alone in the bypoll. The Sikandra bypoll was necessitated following the death of its sitting BJP MLA, Mathura Prasad Pal, on July 22. In the Assembly polls, Pal had polled 87,879 votes, defeating his nearest Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) rival, Mahendra Katiyar (Bablu), who had secured 49,776 votes.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated UP CM Yogi Adityanath and BJP workers in the state for their contribution and said, “My gratitude to the people of Sikandra for once again supporting BJP. Our commitment to serving India’s villages and taking them to new heights of progress is unwavering.”

(With inputs from PTI)