Kochi: In a major relief to Chief Minister Ommen Chandy and the ruling United Democratic Front`s (UDF), their candidate Anup Jacob won the Piravom Assembly by-election in Kerala on Wednesday.
Anup Jacob, 34, son of former minister TM Jacob, won with a margin of 12,070 votes, defeating his father`s old rival, MJ Jacob of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).
Polling in the Piravom constituency took place on March 17 when a record 85.6 percent of the electorate voted.
The by-election follows the death of TM Jacob, who was the food and civil supplies minister. He was the lone legislator of his Kerala Congress-Jacob, an ally of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
With the death of T M Jacob, the UDF strength in the 140
member Assembly had gone down to 71, while in the LDF camp,
the recent resignation of Neyyatinkara MLA, Selvraj has
reduced its strength to 67.
Chandy had taken the bypoll as a referendum on the functioning of his government and put in his might to ensure that Anup Jacob wins.
With IANS inputs
