Counting of votes for one Lok Sabha and two Assembly seats underway
TNN Bureau. Updated: 3/14/2018 11:03:12 AM
Politics
Patna, Mar14 : Amid elaborate security arrangements, the counting of votes started today for deciding the fate of 38 candidates in by-elections for one Lok Sabha and two assembly seats
According to initial trends, RJD candidates are leading in Araria Lok Sabha seat and Jehanabad assembly seat and BJP candidate is leading in Bhabhua assembly constitutency.
The final results are expected in the afternoon.
An estimated 55.77 per cent electorate had exercised their franchise for byelection to Araria Lok Sabha and Jehanabad and Bhabhua assembly seats on March 11.
A total of seven candidates are in the fray in Araria Lok Sabha seat but main contest is between Sarfaraz Alam of RJD and Pradeep Singh of BJP. Mr Alam, son of RJD MP Mohammad Taslimuddin from Araria, whose death necessitated the by-election, was JD(U) MLA from Jokihat and had recently joined RJD, deserting his party. Mr Singh had lost to Mohammad Taslimuddin in 2014 Lok Sabha poll.
Similarly, the death of RJD MLA from Jehanabad Mundrika Singh Yadav necessitated by-poll for the seat and his son Suday Yadav has been made candidate by the RJD. JD(U) which was earlier reluctant to contest election, fielded its candidate on request from BJP. JD(U) has fielded Abhiram Sharma as its candidate who is giving a tough challenge to RJD candidate Mr Yadav.
However, a total of 14 candidates including three women are in the fray.
In Bhabhua Assembly constituency, Ms Rinki Pandey, wife of sitting BJP MLA from the seat Anand Bhushan Pandey, who died recently, is in the fray while Congress has fielded Shambhu Singh Patel as its candidate. Altogether 17 candidates, including three women, are contesting election but the electoral battle is directly between Ms Pandey and Mr Patel.