BJP leading in Hamirpur assembly bypoll

Counting is underway for the Hamirpur Assembly bypoll and trends so far are giving the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Yuvraj Singh the lead.

Polling for the seat was necessitated after the conviction of former BJP MLA Ashok Chandel in a murder case. Chandel was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in a murder case involving five persons.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned for Yuvraj Singh while no prominent face from the opposition campaigned for their candidates.

After the 2014 Assembly polls in the state, the opposition parties are fighting the elections independently.

The opposition candidates include Samajwadi Party's Manoj Kumar Prajapati, Bahujan Samaj Party's Naushad Ali and Hardeepak Nishad of the Congress. A total of nine candidates are in the fray.

Bypoll to the seat was held on September 23, which recorded a turnout of 51 per cent.IANS