Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll: 47-year-old Tabassum Hasan is the RLD candidate.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Tabassum Hasan won the Kairana Lok Sabha by-elections, boosting the chances of a joint opposition front that had joined hands to take on the BJP in the parliamentary seat. The RLD candidate, backed by opposition parties Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, was fielded against Mriganka Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The by-elections was dubbed as semi final for the 2019 national elections.
Speaking to NDTV, Tabassum Hasan said that BJP unnecessarily raked up the issue of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the run up to the Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls. "When it comes to real issues, they (BJP) have nothing to say. They bring up issues like photos of (Muhammad Ali) Jinnah. After all, Jinnah was once from here. But that changed (after partition). That is not a real issue... the real issue is that of the farmers, the poor... on that, they have nothing to say," said RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan.
The Kairana by-election, a seat BJP won in 2014, is seen as a testing ground for opposition unity ahead of the 2019 elections in a state that sends the maximum number of lawmakers to parliament. The ruling BJP is locked in a straight fight with a joint opposition candidate.
The high-profile electoral contest saw over 54 per cent of the constituency's voters casting their mandate amid complaints of malfunctioning of EVM and VVPAT machines.
The seat fell vacant after the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh. His daughter Mriganka Singh is now contesting on the seat against Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, who also has the support of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Apart from Kairana, counting of votes is taking place in three
parliamentary seats and 10 assembly seats today. The assembly seats where the by-elections were held on Monday are Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), Jokihat (Bihar), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Gomia and Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Ampati (Meghalaya), Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra), Shahkot (Punjab) and Chengannur (Kerala).
Here are the live updates of counting in Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll:
The Kairana seat had fallen vacant following the death of Mriganka's father and BJP MP Hukum Singh.
Ms Tabassum (48) has become the first Muslim face from Uttar Pradesh in the 16th Lok Sabha.
Tabassum Hasan of the RLD today won the Kairana Lok Sabha seat by a huge margin over her BJP rival. Ms Hasan polled 4,81,182 votes, while Mriganka Singh of the BJP got 4,36,564 votes, a difference of 44,618 votes.
Kairana was their laboratory of communal and hate politics. For BJP to lose with such a massive margin is a signal that people of our country are not accepting RSS-BJP's governance and the way they are destroying the unity and integrity of our country. For them to be defeated there, is very significant: CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury
Well, communal division is the only weapon left in their arsenal. Surely, they would try to spread communal tension now. But I think people would not now fall prey to this: CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury
RLD has won Kairana, they are bound to make comments. Swaminathan himself congratulated PM Modi after the 2018 budget for realizing his vision: Sambit Patra
India knows the meaning of PM, P for Performance and M for Mehnat (hard work). The BJP has both under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the basis of these two parameters, Modi would be re-elected as PM in 2019. We would get more seats in '19 than '14: BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra
A united opposition had fielded a joint candidate - Tabassum Hasan - in Kairana. She was supported by the Congress, the SP, and the BSP. She defeated the BJP candidate, Mriganka Singh, by a huge margin. The BJP had won the seat in 2014.
People of the state have taught them a lesson for betraying them. UP government has repeatedly fooled the people. Farmers were told that their loans were waived but instead they lost their lives: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav after the BJP's loss in Kairana.
I want to congratulate all the people, farmers, Dalits, who voted for us. This is a defeat for those who do not believe in democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP. The people who were trying to divide the nation have got a befitting reply: Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reacted sharply to the BJP's loss in bypolls. He wrote on Twitter: "Today's results reflect that there is a lot of anger against the Modi government. Until now people were asking what is the option. Today, people are saying Modi ji in not an alternative. Remove him first".
To take a giant leap, you will have to take two steps back. We will take a giant leap in future: Home Minister Rajnath Singh
Akhilesh Yadav, addressing media persons in Lucknow, said, "Voters made it a point to bear whatever the circumstances to come out just to teach a lesson to the BJP.
He added, "I also thank all other political leaders who came together and stood together to ensure that we win."
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav today thanked and congratulated the people of Noorpur and Kairana after a resounding verdict for the opposition bloc. He said, "This is a win for farmers, neglected, poor and Dalits. This is a win for social justice, of Charan Singh's heritage, of Samajwadi principles. Voters voted in extreme heat, poor, farmers, women, everybody stood in lines to vote. BJP tried to deflect attention from core issues."
RLD leader Jayant Choudhury after party's win in Kairana
- I congratulate all who have won today. I congratulate RJD for their win... may the momentum for us continue like this right till the 2019 elections.
- This is a clear message of opposition unity and this is a message to all of us to ensure that we are together in the Lok Sabha elections.
- The BJP is a big party. They do know like to lose. They do all they can to win every single election.
- This win is very important for us, and others in other seats and states.
- People want it and smaller parties like us need to be respected.
Tabassum Hasan was elected to parliament in 2009 as a BSP lawmaker. She joined the Samajwadi Party before ending up in RLD. Her office also has a portrait of her husband Munnawar Hasan, who had represented Kairana both in the state assembly and the Lok Sabha. He died in a road accident in 2008.
The RLD is said to have extended the lead to 890,383 votes, as per some reports.
RLD has garnered an unassailable lead of over 78,000 votes in the parliamentary seat. The party candidate has won 3,40,802, way ahead than the 2,62,068 votes won by BJP's Mriganka Singh.
"RLD chief Ajit Singh did not have a candidate of his own. Opposition had to provide a candidate to him. By-elections are fought on regional issues," says BJP National Spokesperson Bizay Sonkar Shastri as RLD candidate emerges all set to win the seat.
The by-poll has been widely pitched as another test of opposition unity against the BJP after the Samajwadi Party and BSP pooled their resources to defeat the ruling party in its strongholds Gorakhpur and Phulpur in March.
Votes break-up after 12 roundsRLD - 2,50,862
BJP - 2,10,977
Total lead - 39,885
RLD is now having a comfortable lead over the BJP. The party has garnered 42,000 votes after 11 rounds of counting.
RLD's lead has increased to 26,925 votes after nine rounds of counting. Thirteen more rounds to go.
After 9 rounds, Tabassum Hasan is ahead by 24,939 votes
After 9 rounds of voting, Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan is now having a comfortable lead over her BJP rival. Ms Hasan has received 46,909 while Mriganka Singh of the BJP has garnered 21,970 votes.
In Key Byelection Results Today, Test For Opposition Bloc In UP: 10 PointsThe BJP is leading in Palghar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra and its ally NDPP is leading in Nagaland's Tokheho. But in UP's Kairana - seen as a test for the United opposition -- and Maharashtra's Bhandara-Gondiya, it is trailing. Polling in the two parliamentary seats on Monday was marred by complaints of faulty EVMs or electronic vote machines at many booths. Repolling was held in 73 polling stations of Kairana and 49 booths in Bhandara-Gondiya yesterday. Nearly 20 per cent of VVPAT or Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machines, which eject slips confirming voters' choices, were replaced on both seats."
Kairana votes break-up after three rounds
Mriganka Singh is trailing behind in the parliamentary seat. After the third round, the BJP candidate manajed only 61,022 votes. Her RLD rival has managed considerable lead, garnering 75,503 votes.
Voting in both Kairana and Noorpur was hit by complaints of snags in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPATs or or Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail machines that produces slips to confirm to the voter that his choice has been recorded correctly. Repolling was held at 73 polling stations in Kairana yesterday.
Kairana votes break-upBJP- 9916
RLD- 13301
RLD's Tabassum Hasan, a former lawmaker, is supported by the Congress and Samajwadi Party, and she also claims the support of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The problems of the sugarcane farmers was one of the key issues in Kairana ahead of the bypolls, reports Amitoj Singh.
The coming together of opposition parties, including the Congress, BSP, SP, AAP etc has affected the prospects of the BJP in Kairana. The Opposition camp has influence on at least 11 lakh of the 16 lakh voters, reports NDTV's Amitoj Singh.
RLD's Tabassum Hasan leading by over 3000 votes over BJP's Mriganka Singh, reports ANI.
Technical problem with counting postal ballots has been reported in both Kairana and Noorpur.
BJP's Mriganka Singh is leading by 46 votes in Kairana. Early trends indicate, the BJP candidate has pooled in 3,746 votes, while Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan has got 3,700 votes.
The Kairana by-election, a seat BJP won in 2014, is seen as a testing ground for opposition unity ahead of the 2019 elections in a state that sends the maximum number of lawmakers to parliament.
Opposition hopes to replicate success of Gorakhpur and Phoolpur earlier this year, where rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samajwati Party joined hands to defeat the ruling BJP.
Visuals from a counting centre in Kairana
Counting begins for Kairana bypoll. Counting of votes for the by-elections in three
parliamentary seats and 10 assembly seats today. The assembly seats where the by-elections were held on Monday are Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), Jokihat (Bihar), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Gomia and Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Ampati (Meghalaya), Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra), Shahkot (Punjab) and Chengannur (Kerala).
Voting was held in Kairana on 28 May with re-polling in 73 booths yesterday due to technical snags in EVM, VVPAT machines during the by-election. Counting of votes will begin shortly.
Tabassum Hasan, the opposition candidate belonging to RLD, had even alleged that faulty machines were deployed in Muslim and Dalit-dominated areas. Her allegations were rejected by the district magistrate.
Bypoll in Kairana is taking place due to the death of the sitting lawmaker --- BJP's Hukum Singh --- whose daughter Mriganka Singh is the party's candidate.
The counting of votes in the bypolls will begin at 8 am.
According to the Election Commission, there are 16.09 lakh voters in Kairana - 8.73 lakh male voters and 7.36 lakh female voters. Noorpur Assembly constituency has 3.06 lakh voters.
Kairana parliamentary constituency has five assembly segments -- Shamli, Thana Bhawan and Kairana in Shamli district, and Gangoh and Nakur in Saharanpur district.
What's at stake for BJP and Opposition?The bypoll is significant as it would test the popularity of the ruling BJP in the electorally crucial state of Uttar Pradesh an year ahead of the next general elections. The ruling BJP also hopes to avenge the drubbing it got in Gorakhpur and Phulpur bye-elections.
The opposition hopes that by consolidating the anti-BJP vote, it will repeat its success in Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections earlier this year when the ruling party suffered humiliating defeats.
Repolling witnessed in 73 BoothsAmid tight security, repolling took place at 73 polling booths in Kairana Lok Sabha constituency.
The Election Commission had ordered repolling in the constituency in view of technical snags in EVM-VVPAT machines during the by-election on Monday.
The Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll will help understand the chances of winnability of a joint opposition camp against the BJP. The ruling BJP is locked in a straight fight with a joint opposition candidate.
BJP candidate Mriganka Singh is locked in a straight fight against Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, who also has the support of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party.