JMM candidate Suman Mahto wins Jamshedpur L S bypoll

Jamshedpur, Sep 2 (UNI)UPA-backed Jharkhand Mukti orcha (JMM) candidate Suman Mahto today won the Jamshedpur Lok Sabha bypoll, defeating her nearest rival NDA-supported BJP's Dinesh Sarangi by 58,814 votes.

Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner N M Kulkarni announced that Mrs Mahto got 2,93,003 votes while Mr Sarangi managed to bag 2,34,189 votes after the final rounds of counting amidst tight security arrangements here.

Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Democratic)candidate Bikash Mukherjee got 37,443 votes to gain the third spot while Bahujan Samaj Party candidate Salkhan Murmu was relegated to thefourth position with 29,979 votes.

The other notable candidates who crossed the four-figure mark were Independent Lakhan Chandra Mardi(10,760 votes) and Samajwadi Party candidate Aftaw Ahmed Siddiqui, who got 10,303 votes.

Mr Kulkarni said altogether 6,4,1038 votes were cast from the total 13,96,230 voters in six assembly segments of the constituency and 12 candidates were in the fray.

Mr Kulkarni said the electioneering had passed off peacefully and altogether 30 cases of violation of Model Code of Conduct were booked.

The bypoll was necessitated after the assassination of JMM MP Sunil Mahto by Maoist rebels at Baghuria village in East Singhbhum district on March 4.

The JMM gave the election ticket to late Mahto's widow Suman Mahto, who has retained the seat with comfortable margin.

In her reaction soon after the announcement of her victory Mrs Mahto said she would fulfil the unfinished works of her late husband and also work for the empowerment of women.

Jharkhand Deputy Chief Minister and the JMM leader Sudhir Mahto said it was a historic win and congratualed the UPA constituents for lending support to the JMM candidate.'' It's a win for democracy and a befitting reply to the communal forces.'' Mr Mahto said.

Meanwhile, the UPA supporters took out a huge victory rally to celebrate the win of their candidate.The supporters were seen smearing 'Gulal' on each other's faces and shouted slogans like ''Suman Mahto Zindabad. Sunil Mahto Amar Rahe''.

The defeated candidate Mr Sarangi alleged that the UPA used government machinery in favour of their candidate and also blamed the lack of voter' turnout in urban areas as the reasons for his defeat.

UNI