Jayalalithaa wins by 1.5 lakh votes; marks dramatic return to Assembly

CHENNAI/ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/ AGARTALA/ BHOPAL/ SHILONG, June 30

All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) head and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa will return to the Tamil Nadu Assembly on a landslide victory as she surged past her nearest rival, Communist Party of India's C Mahendran, on Tuesday with 1,60,432 votes in the RK Nagar bypoll. Mahendran secured 9,710 votes —  more than 1.5 lakh votes behind the Tamil Nadu CM.

Social activist KR Ramaswamy, popularly known as ‘Traffic Ramaswamy’, polled 2,939.

Celebrations began at the Tamil Nadu CM’s Poes Garden residence as soon as trends began to indicate a rather easy victory for her. Slogans of 'Puratchi Thalavi Vazhga’ (Hail revolutionary leader) once again pierced the air, much like the day Jayalalithaa was acquitted in a disproportionate assets case.

Jayalalithaa said: "It is a historic win, I assure that I will tirelessly work to fulfil the voters' expectations, and needs." Out of the total votes polled in the city constituency, a massive 88.43 per cent of the electorate had voted for me, which is historic."

Jayalalithaa and Mahendran are among the 28 candidates battling for the North Chennai assembly segment.

For Jayalalithaa, who took over as Chief Minister after she was acquitted in a disproportionate assets case recently, this victory is crucial: not only does this ensure she retains her Chief Minister’s position, but it also sets tone for the assembly elections in the state next year.

The leader became CM for the fifth time on May 23 after the Karnataka High Court acquitted her, overturning a previous trial court order holding her guilty.

AIADMK's P Vetrivel the vacated his RK Nagar seat in May, in what appeared to be a move to make way for the CM to be elected to the Assembly. 

Cong retains Aruvikkara Assembly segment

Congress candiate K S Sabarinadhan won the Aruvikkara Assembly bypoll on Tuesday, defeating his nearest rival M Vijayakumar of Opposition LDF by a margin of 10,128 votes: a victory that is likely to be crucial for Oommen Chandy’s UDF-government given that the state will go to polls some time next year.

Sabarinadhan, son of former speaker G Karthikeyan, secured 56,448 votes to Vijayakumar’s 46,320, while BJP candiate and former union minister O Rajagopal came in third at 34,145 votes.

Thanking voters, Sabarinadhan said: “I will continue the work left in the constituency by his father Karthikeyan."

He made a special mention of women voters, who outnumbered men in the segment.

The death of Karthikeyan in February made the bypolls necessary.

An estimated 77.35 per cent voters exercised their franchise in what was largely seen as three-way contest between the Congress, the CPI (M) and the BJP on June 27.

With this victory, UDF’s strength in the 140-member Assembly stands at 74 MLAs as against LDF's 65.

The lone MLA of Kerala Congress (B) KB Ganesh Kumar, who snapped ties with UDF, is keeping away from both fronts.

CPI (M) wins Tripura bypoll elections

The ruling CPI(M) won both Pratapgarh and Surma reserved Assembly seats by a huge margin in Tripura in the bypolls held on Saturday.

Ramu Das, CPI (M) candidate in Pratapgarh assembly segment, beat his nearest BJP candidate, Mousami Das, by 17,326 votes. In Surma, CPI (M)’s Anjan Das defeated his nearest rival, BJP’s Asish Das by 15,309 votes.

BJP retains Garoth Assembly seat in MP

Bharatiya Janata Party retained its Garoth Assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district, but with a smaller margin compared to the 2013 elections.

The party’s candidate Chander Singh Sisodia defeating Congress' Subhash Kumar Sojatia by 12,945 votes. The BJP had won the seat in 2013 Assembly election by a margin of 25,755 votes.

A total of 1,55,934 voters voted in what was mainly a two-way battle between the Congress and the BJP, although there were eight candidates fighting for the seat.

Congress wins Meghalaya bypoll

Ruling Congress won the Chokpot Assembly by-polls in Meghalaya by a margin of 2,550 votes on Tuesday, with its candidate Bluebell R Sangma defeating her nearest rival Philipole Marak of National People's Party.

Bluebell Sangama is the wife of former legislator Mason S Sangma

While Blubell R Sangma secured 8,042 votes, Philipole Marak secured 5,492 votes, state election office said.

The other candidates, Kalpana D Sangma from Garo National Council and Thinkerwin R Marak (Independent), secured 5,009 and 1,189 votes, respectively.

The Chokpot Assembly Constituency fell vacant following the death of Garo National Council (GNC) legislator Clifford R Marak. Marak's wife Kalpana Sangma contested on GNC ticket.

The polls saw 83.11 per cent voters cast their ballots. IANS/ PTI