LDF's Pradeep wins Chelakkara assembly segment in Kerala

Thrissur (Kerala), Nov 23 (PTI) Ruling LDF candidate U R Pradeep won the Chelakkara Assembly bypoll in Kerala on Saturday by defeating Congress-UDF's Ramya Haridas by a margin of 12,201 votes.

Pradeep, who had maintained a steady lead since the beginning of the counting, garnered 64,827 votes, while Haridas had to settle for 52,626 votes, according to Election Commission figures.

The BJP-NDA nominee, K Balakrishnan, finished in third position with 33,609 votes, the figures showed.

Though six candidates were in the fray in Chelakkara, the main contest was between Pradeep and Haridas.

A bypoll was necessitated in the Chelakkara segment, a Left stronghold for years, as the then MLA and former Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan was elected to the Lok Sabha earlier this year.

The bypoll was held on November 13 and the results were announced on Saturday. PTI LGK KH