BJP candidate leading in Hamirpur bypoll

Hamirpur (Uttar Pradesh): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Yuvraj Singh is leading in the Hamirpur Assembly bypoll.

An official said that Singh had already taken the lead in the tenth phase of counting. The BJP candidate had got 17,344 votes and the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate had got 14,067 votes with the BJP leading by 3,277 votes.

In the 11th phase, the BJP got 19,221 and the SP got 15,288 votes.

In the 12th phase, the BJP got 24,993 votes and the SP got 17,938 votes.

After 14 rounds of counting the BJP candidate was leading by over 8,295 votes over his SP rival.

The bye-election was necessitated after the disqualification of BJP MLA Ashok Singh Chandel, who was convicted in a 22-year-old murder case in May.

The bypoll to the seat was held on September 23, which recorded a turnout of 51 per cent.