By Twocircles.net Staff Reporter
IUML candidate PK Kunhalikutty has won the Malappuram by-poll with a margin of over 1.7 lakh votes. The IUML strongman and MLA from Vengara constituency secured 5.15 lakh votes. MB Faisal of CPIM got 3,44,307 votes while BJP candidate N Sreeprakash, who got 65,675 votes, was left far behind. The by-election was held following the demise of IUML national president E Ahamed in February 2017.
After results were declared, Kunhalikutty came down heavily against BJP saying UDF’s victory is a blow to BJP. The IUML leader said that BJP’s politics assumed no significance in Kerala politics.
“In Kerala, people are politically aware. And only politics with secular credentials can survive. Voters in the constituency have exercised their franchise in favour of secularism,” he said.
Kunhalikutty also thanked voters for supporting his party and for placing their faith in him and IUML.
IUML retained its lead in all assembly segments and had a better gain compared to assembly elections in 2016.
Kunhaliktty kept increasing his lead since the first round of result came out by 8.15 am.
Meanwhile, BJP, which was expected to bag more than one lakh votes, failed to come with a better performance in the constituency. The party, which got only 957 more votes compared to 2014 Lok Sabha elections.