Palakkad byelection: UDF's Rahul Mamkootathil surges ahead; BJP's C Krishnakumar trails behind

In the Palakkad Assembly by-election, UDF candidate Rahul Mamkootathil has surged ahead after a strong start from BJP's C. Krishnakumar in postal votes and city areas. Despite an initial lead, Krishnakumar has now dropped behind, with UDF workers celebrating in Palakkad.

Palakkad: In the Palakkad Assembly by-election, UDF candidate Rahul Mamkootathil has taken the lead. In the initial postal vote count and the city areas, BJP candidate C. Krishnakumar had been ahead, but he has now fallen behind. UDF workers in Palakkad have started celebrating. While BJP was leading in the urban areas, the results indicate a decline in their vote share compared to the previous election. 

In the beginning, C Krishnakumar took an early lead, consistently challenging the UDF camp and causing them concern. Currently, Rahul is ahead by 1,418 votes.

A significant portion of the BJP votes seems to have shifted to Congress. Rahul Mamkootathil has gained 430 more votes than the Congress candidate from the previous election. Additionally, CPI(M) independent candidate P. Sarin has seen an increase of 111 votes.

The early results indicate a strong lead for Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad, while the contest in Palakkad is proving to be a close race between BJP's C. Krishnakumar and UDF's Rahul Mamkootathil. In Chelakkara, LDF’s U.R. Pradeep is ahead after the first round of vote counting.

These by-elections were triggered by the resignation of sitting legislators for various reasons, including their move to the Lok Sabha. While Wayanad is drawing attention as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s electoral debut, Palakkad has turned into a heated three-way contest, and Chelakkara is a key test for the LDF to hold on to its traditional stronghold.