Ellenabad bypoll: INLD leader Abhay Chautala leads by 8,180 votes over BJP's Gobind Kanda
The bypoll was necessitated after Chautala in January resigned as the MLA from the seat in protest against three central farm laws and to stand in solidarity with the farmers.
Published: 02nd November 2021 11:36 AM | Last Updated: 02nd November 2021 12:59 PM | A+A A-
INLD leader Abhay Chautala (File Photo | PTI)
CHANDIGARH: INLD secretary general Abhay Singh Chautala has increased his lead over his nearest rival Gobind Kanda of the BJP, with a margin of 8,180 votes in the Ellenabad assembly constituency in Haryana.
Counting of votes for the October 30 bypoll to the seat is in progress.
The bypoll was necessitated after Chautala in January resigned as the MLA from the seat in protest against three central farm laws and to stand in solidarity with the farmers who are protesting against these legislations since past one year.
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) candidate is leading over Kanda by a margin of 8,180 votes, according to trends available at 12:30 pm.
Main opposition Congress' candidate Pawan Beniwal was trailing at third spot.
Out of the votes counted so far, Chautala has secured 31,838, Kanda 23,658 and Beniwal has got 13,092 votes.
While there are 19 candidates in the fray, most of whom are Independents, the main contest is between Chautala, Beniwal and JJP-backed BJP candidate Gobind Kanda.
Gobind Kanda, the brother of Haryana Lokhit Party chief and legislator Gopal Kanda, joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last month.
Beniwal, who had unsuccessfully contested the previous assembly polls against Abhay Chautala, recently switched over from the BJP to the Congress.
Chautala, younger son of INLD president and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, had won the Rori assembly bypoll in Sirsa district in 2000.
Ellenabad, a predominantly rural constituency, has been a traditional stronghold for the Chautala clan.
Chautala won the 2010 bypoll from Ellenabad, when Om Prakash Chautala vacated the seat to retain the Uchana seat in Jind district -- the other constituency from which he had contested the election in 2009 and won.
Chautala retained the Ellenabad seat in 2014 too.
He again won from Ellenabad in the 2019 assembly polls, when he was the lone INLD MLA to enter the House.
The win in the bypoll was crucial for the INLD otherwise the party would have had no MLA to represent in the state assembly.
