Inshallah, dhul chatayenge in sabko: Opp candidate Tabassum Hasan takes massive lead in Kairana bypoll, 'warns' BJP

RLD's Tabassum Hasan, the Opposition candidate from RLD appears to be racing ahead full steam in Kairana where she’s leading the BJP candidate Mriganka Singh by 55,917 votes. RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan has received 265,892 votes compared to Mriganka Singh’s 209,975.

RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan said: “Saba milke chalene aur inshallah dhul chatayenge in sabko (We will all come together, inshallah and we will make them bite the dust)”.

Live blog of Karina bypoll 

She added: “This is the victory of truth. I still stand by what I said, there has been a conspiracy & we do not want any future elections to be conducted on EVM machines. The path for united opposition is clear in 2019.”

Polling for the high-stakes bye-elections to the two constituencies on Monday was marred by complaints of snags in the EVMs. Following this, repolling was held at 73 polling stations in Kairana yesterday.

The polling had remained by and large peaceful with a voter turnout of over 50 per cent.

Kairana parliamentary constituency has five assembly segments -- Shamli, Thana Bhawan and Kairana in Shamli district, and Gangoh and Nakur in Saharanpur district.

The Kairana bypoll was necessitated following the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh in February. His daughter Mriganka Singh was pitted by the party against Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan (BSP MP from Kairana in 2009) who is also supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and also claims the support of the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Similarly, the bye-election to Noorpur Assembly seat was necessitated due to the death of BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chauhan in a road accident in February.

While BJP reposed faith in Avani Singh, wife of late MLA Lokendra Chauhan, as its candidate, the SP fielded Naeemul Hasan as its nominee.

After the defeat of the BJP in Gorakhpur and Phoolpur Lok Sabha bypolls, opposition parties are upbeat aiming to consolidate anti-BJP votes, whereas the ruling BJP has made extra efforts to retain both the seats in order to send a message to voters, party cadres -- as well as opposition parties -- that the recent reversals are a closed chapter now, and that it was still strong in western UP.

The Kairana election is the fourth Lok Sabha bye-election in the state since 2014. Apart from Gorakhpur and Phulpur, a bye-election was also held in Mainpuri in 2014.

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav had resigned from Mainpuri after deciding to represent Azamgarh, the second constituency from which he won in 2014.

SP's Tej Pratap Singh Yadav, who is related to him, defeated the BJP there in that bye-election, retaining the seat for his party.

With inputs from PTI