Mandi bypoll: Pratibha Singh leading by more than 1 lakh votes

Congress candidate Pratibha Singh, takes unassailable lead of about 1, 35, 000 votes over her nearest BJP rival Jai Ram Thakur. The voting for Mandi bypoll that held on June 23 and 27 started at 8 am this morning and results are expected by afternoon.

Congress candidate Pratibha Singh, takes unassailable lead of about 1, 35, 000 votes over her nearest BJP rival Jai Ram Thakur.

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Congress candidate Pratibha Singh was leading with a margin of over 100, 000 votes out of around 400, 000 votes counted before noon in the Mandi parliamentary bypoll, election officials said here today.

The voting for bypoll that held on June 23 and 27 started at 8 am this morning and results are expected by afternoon.

The main contest is between Pratibha Singh, wife of chief minister Virbhadra Singh, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and former cabinet minister Jai Ram Thakur.

There are two independents also in the fray.

Nearly 53% of the 11,24,786 electors exercised their franchise in two phase of voting held June 23 and 27.

The bypoll was necessitated after Virbhadra Singh relinquished the seat following his election to the state assembly in December 2012.

The Mandi constituency, which includes Kullu, Mandi and some areas of Chamba and Shimla districts, besides the tribal-dominated Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, is one of the biggest in the country.

(With inputs from agencies)