Congress sweeps Kolebira Assembly bypoll

The Congress on Sunday won the Kolebira Assembly bypoll in Jharkhand. Congress candidate Naman Bixal Kongari made a clean sweep by 9658 votes. 

The counting began at 8 in the morning. The bypoll in Kolebira was necessitated after Jharkhand party MLA Enos Ekka was convicted for a teacher’s murder. There were five candidates in the fray in the Kolebira Assembly constituency.

However, the main contest was between the Congress, BJP and Jharkhand Party. The BJP has fielded Basant Soreng, while the Congress candidate is Viksal Kongadi.

The Jharkhand Party has put up Menon Ekka. The Congress is supported by all the opposition parties except the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

Congress had exuded confidence of winning the bypoll. State co-ordinator and social media cell in-charge for Jharkhand Congress Mayur Shekhar Jha tweeted that there are indications from the ground that party candidate Kongari will win the by poll.

"Keeping my fingers crossed. All indications from the ground suggest @INCJharkhand candidate Bixel Kongari is winning #Kolebira assembly by poll. @drajoykumar @SinghRPN and @UmangSinghar seem to be on the verge of pulling a miracle, as we were seen as the 4th player," he had tweeted.

A voter turnout of 62.89 per cent was recorded in the bypoll to the Kolebira assembly seat on Thursday.

The bypoll in Kolebira comes just days after results were declared for Assembly elections in five states – Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.

While the Congress managed to snatch power from the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) won in Telangana and the Mizo National Front (MNF) in Mizoram.