Palakkad byelection: UDF's Rahul Mamkootathil wins by 18840 votes, setback for BJP

The Palakkad assembly by-election has turned into a closely contested race between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Initially, BJP's C. Krishnakumar led with postal votes, but Congress' Rahul Mamkootathil gained momentum and overtook him.

Aishwarya Nair

First Published Nov 23, 2024, 12:51 PM IST | Last Updated Nov 23, 2024, 2:01 PM IST

Palakkad: The Palakkad assembly by-election on Saturday has evolved into an exciting battle between the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BJP candidate C. Krishnakumar initially took the lead, supported by postal votes, but Congress' Rahul Mamkootathil gained the upper hand in the subsequent rounds. In his debut election, Mamkootathil secured a record-breaking victory in the Palakkad by-election, winning by a margin of 18,840 votes. Hailing from Pathanamthitta, Rahul Mamkootathil is now set to represent Palakkad in the Kerala Legislative Assembly.

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

Rahul Mamkootathil had surged ahead of C. Krishnakumar with a 1,000-vote lead at 9.30 am. However, by 10:30 am, the BJP regained ground, taking a slim lead of 400 votes. By 11:00 am, Mamkootathil reclaimed the advantage, leading by 1,300 votes after seven rounds.

By noon, Rahul Mamkootathil had widened his lead to more than 12,000 votes after 10 rounds, positioning himself as a strong contender to succeed Shafi Parambil in the Kerala Assembly and reinforcing Congress' confidence in his candidacy. As the 11th round of counting commenced, his lead increased further, surpassing 13,000 votes and then crossing 15,000.

BJP candidate C. Krishnakumar initially led in postal votes and the early rounds, but it was in the sixth round that Rahul Mamkootathil overtook him. Rahul gained momentum by breaking the BJP’s strongholds. While BJP was ahead in the urban areas of Palakkad, the party’s vote share in the municipal areas decreased compared to the last election, with votes flowing towards Congress. Additionally, Rahul’s performance weakened Left candidate P. Sarin, who had shifted from Congress, as he secured double the votes compared to Sarin.

Rahul's lead surged sharply when the Pirayiri Panchayat votes were counted. He secured 6,775 votes here, leading Krishnakumar by 4,124 votes. By the time the ninth round of counting concluded, Rahul had a commanding lead of 10,291 votes. With this substantial lead, UDF workers in Palakkad began celebrating, as Rahul’s victory seemed assured.

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