Malappuram by-poll results
» UDF candidate & IUML leader PK Kunhalikutty wins Malappuram LS by-poll, gets over 5 lakh votes
» Kunhalikutty secures victory with a lead of over 1.7 lakh votes. He got the highest margin in his own constituency Vengara 40,259.
» CPM's M.B. Faisal finishes second with over 3 lakh votes, LDF increases its vote share
A sneak peek into the life and times of 'Kunjappa'
» BJP's Sreeprakash came a distant third
Click here for Malappuram by-election results
» NOTA gets 4,0098 votes
» 'The UDF victory is because the electorate have placed faith in me as I spoke about the need for a secular outlook, says Kunhalikutty
» After LDF fails to hem in Kunhalikutty's lead in Malappuram, CPM's M.B. Faisal says it is proof of the rival party colluding with communal groups to ensure victory
Malappuram: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) Monday retained the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency with its candidate P.K. Kunhalikutty winning by over 1.7 lakh votes in the by-poll, defeating the ruling CPM-led LDF nominee.
Kunhalikutty, who defeated his nearest rival CPM's M.B. Faisal by over 1,71,023 votes, won from all the seven assembly constituencies of Kondotty, Manjeri, Perinthalamann, Mankada, Malappuram, Vengara and Vallikkunnu. The Bharatiya Janata Party candidate N. Sreeprakash came a distant third.
Malappuram LS by-poll: A SWOT analysis
A former minister, Kunhalikutty is a member of the state assembly from Vengara constituency. This is his maiden foray to Parliament.
The muslim-dominated Malappuram is considered a bastion of IUML.
Speaking to the media as supporters egged him, Kunhalikutty said they have led in village councils where the Left is ruling.
"This is because the electorate have placed faith in me as I spoke about the need for a secular outlook. Also the unity of the Congress-led UDF has helped us in this," said Kunhalikutty.
After LDF failed to hem in Kunhalikutty's lead in Malappuram, CPM's M.B. Faisal said it was proof of the rival party colluding with communal groups to ensure victory. But the LDF has increased its vote share to nearly 35 percent from the 28 percent it polled in 2014 LS poll.
The total turnout at Malappuram by-election on April 12, was 71.33 percent.
More than 1,100 polling stations were set up in the constituency, which has seven assembly constituencies, and a total electorate of 13,12,693. Of the total 13,12,693 electorates, 9,36,315 persons including 4,93,433 women exercised their franchise.
About 71 pc polling recorded in peaceful Malappuram Lok Sabha by-poll | Pix
The bypoll was necessitated following the demise of former union minister and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader E. Ahamed.
The high-voltage campaign had seen heated debates on beef versus development.
In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Ahamed had won the seat by a margin of 1,94,739 votes against CPM's P.K. Sainaba. The 2014 polls had recorded 71.23 percent voting.
(With inputs from IANS)