Assembly bypoll results: Congress leading in Dantewada, NCP in Pala

As per the early trends, Congress candidate Devti Karma was leading by a margin of 6,108 votes (total 18,505 votes) in the Dantewada assembly bypoll against her closest rival

The counting of votes is under way in four assembly constituencies - Pala (Kerala), Hamirpur (UP), Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) and Badharghat (Tripura) -- where voting was held on September 23.

As per the early trends, Congress candidate Devti Karma was leading by a margin of 6,108 votes (total 18,505 votes) in the Dantewada assembly bypoll against her nearest rival Ojaswi Mandavi (12,397 votes) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The ruling Congress and main opposition BJP are locked in a direct fight in this Naxal-affected seat, reserved for Scheduled Tribe, where bypoll was necessitated after the death of sitting BJP MLA Bhima Mandavi in a Maoist attack in April this year.

In Kerala's Pala assembly constituency, Nationalist Congress Party's Mani C Kappan was leading with 26,384 votes, followed by independent candidate Jose Tom at 22,278 votes, early trends showed. The outcome is expected to be a litmus test for the ruling CPIM-led LDF after its rout in the Lok Sabha polls.

The bypoll is also crucial for opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP-headed NDA (National Democratic Alliance) as a victory would give a boost to the three major combines prospects in the by-elections to five more assembly constituencies scheduled for October 21. The by-election was necessitated by the death of former finance minister and Kerala Congress (M) supremo K M Mani, who had held the constituency for more than five decades.

In Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur assembly constituency, BJP candidate Yuwraj Singh was leading with 14,331 votes, followed by Samajwadi Party's Manoj Kumar Prajapati with 11,885 votes. 

The by-election was necessitated due to the disqualification of sitting BJP MLA Ashok Kumar Singh Chandel following his conviction in a murder case.

In Tripura's Badharghat, Bharatiya Janata Party's Mimi Majumder was leading with 13,868 votes. Trailing her was Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidate Bulti Biswas with 9,799 votes till now.

(With PTI inputs)