SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 8: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate and State’s Excise Minister Baby Devi today retained her husband late Jagarnath Mahto’s Dumri assembly seat defeating Yashoda Devi of AJSU in the bypoll by 17,153 votes.
Baby Devi was polled 1,00,317 votes against 83,164 votes of Yashoda Dev. However, the victory margin of Baby Devi is less than what her husband had got in 2019. Mahto had won the seat by 34,288 votes in 2019 assembly election against Yashoda Devi.
The election was held on September 5 and counting of votes held today at Krishi bazaar Samiti premises.
Four other candidates in the fray, Abdul Mobin Rizvi of AIMIM, Roshan Lal Turi and Narayan Giri, all independents forfeited their deposits.
This was first victory of INDIA block of opposition parties candidate in Jharkhand . Yashoda Devi was NDA block candidate.
“ I would fulfil the dream of my late education minister ( her husband Jagarnath Mahto ) for the development of the Dumri as people of the constituency has voted me to complete it “, said Baby Devi as result was declared.
AJSU candidate Ayshoda Devi told media persons that state machinery was misused to ensure victory of ruling party candidate.
Though Baby Devi registered the victory with comfortable margin of 17,100 votes , the trend of counting passed through many up and down.
In 24 rounds counting AJSU candidate Yashoda Devi took lead in first round but Baby Devi took lead of 300 votes in second round of counting. However from 3rd round Yashoda Devi again re-established her lead and maintained till 14th round of counting.
But in 15th round Baby Devi bounced back with lead of 300 votes and increased the margin in each round till last ( 24th round).
