Congress, UPA partners hog limelight in Dec 4 byelections

New Delhi, Dec 7 (UNI) Ahead of the crucial Assembly polls in four states early next year, the Congress and its UPA partners today made handsome gains in the by-elections to Karimnagar and Bobbili Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh and 11 Assembly constituencies spread over 10 states.

The Congress wrested the Bobbili Lok Sabha seat from the TDP but former Union Minister and Telengana Rashtra Samiti President K Chandrasekhara Rao retained the Karimnagar parliamentary seat, defeating his nearest Congress rival T Jeevan Reddy by more than one lakh votes.

The Congress won five assembly seats, the LDF two, the NCP one while the BJP, JD (U) and an Independent got one each in the December four byelections. The CPI (M) retained the Islampur assembly seat in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal when its candidate Sayeed Farhat Afroze defeated Abdul Karim Chowdhury of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) by 7511 votes in a three cornered contest.

Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramiah of the Congress won from Chamundeswari assembly constituency while Mrs Renu Jogi, wife of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, inflicted a major setback on the BJP at Kota.

Former Union Minister of State for Home and ... picking up from para five, line one of DI13, ELECTION-LEAD RESULTS.

UNI Team RP AT HS1530