CPM, Congress Activists Clash In Kerala After Bypoll Results Declared

A clash broke out between youth wing members of the Congress and the ruling CPI(M) in Manarcad area of Puthuppally constituency on Friday soon after the by-election results were declared.

The police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the two groups which threw stones at each other, leaving five people injured.

At least three activists of the Youth Congress and two from the CPI(M)'s youth wing DYFI suffered injuries, police said, adding that the situation was brought under control.

Senior police officials from the district, including the SP, are camping in the region.

While the DYFI members alleged that the houses of party workers were attacked when the celebratory procession of the Congress was taken out, the Youth Congress workers claimed that stones were thrown at their rally.

Meanwhile, Left candidate in the constituency Jaick C Thomas told the media that Congress workers vandalised the shop of a DYFI office bearer.

"During the Youth Congress victory march, the Congress workers attacked the house of the DYFI office bearer. The election here was held peacefully, there was no violence here. But the march led by the Youth Congress leaders turned violent," he alleged.

A senior police official told PTI that the crowd was dispersed, and the situation was brought under control.

Congress' Chandy Oommen retained the party's bastion Puthuppally with a historic margin in the bypoll.

Results declared today showed that 37-year-old Chandy Oommen trounced his main rival Jaick C Thomas of the CPI(M) by a margin of 37,719 votes in the bypoll.

The by-election was held following the death of Oommen Chandy on July 18.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)