JMM candidate Bebi Devi leading in Dumri bypoll in Jharkhand

Giridih: JMM candidate Bebi Devi was leading by 1,341 votes over her nearest AJSU party rival Yashoda Devi in the by-election to the Dumri Assembly seat in Jhakhand's Giridih district on Friday, officials said. After two rounds of counting, the JMM candidate, who is also the INDIA bloc nominee had secured 7,314 votes, while the AJSU Party candidate, an NDA nominee, got 5,973 votes.

Giridih deputy commissioner-cum-district election officer Naman Priyesh Lakra told PTI that counting of votes began at 8 am on Friday for the by-election amid tight security.

On reports of delay of around 10 minutes, he said counting of postal ballots had started at 8 am.

The polling for the by-election was held on September 5. Of the total 2.98 lakh eligible voters, 64.84 per cent had cast their votes, they said.

The bypoll was necessitated by the death of JMM MLA Jagarnath Mahto, the state's Education Minister, in April. He had been representing the seat since 2004.

The JMM has fielded Mahto's wife Bebi Devi as the candidate of the INDIA bloc, while the AJSU Party has nominated Yashoda Devi as the NDA candidate.