Kerala bypolls: UDF leads in 4 of 5 assembly seats

Counting of votes to the five Assembly constituencies was underway, which began at 8 a.m. and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) was leading in four and the CPI-M in one.

In the Vatiyoorkavu Assembly seat in the state capital, young CPI-M candidate and Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.K. Prasanth was leading by a slender margin of 226 votes against former Congress Legislator K. Mohankumar.

The Konni Assembly seat is also witnessing an intense fight between Congress candidate P. Mohanraj and CPI-M candidate K.U. Jenish. Mohanraj is leading by 540 votes.

At Aroor, which is the only sitting seat of the Left, its CPI-M candidate Manu C. Pulickal is trailing by 265 votes against Congress leader Shanimol Usman.

On the expected lines, at Ernakulam, Congress candidate T.J. Vinod is leading by 365 votes against Left supported independent candidate Manu Roy.

And, in Manjeswaram, the Indian Union Muslim League candidate M.C. Kamarudheen is racing ahead with a lead of 1,181 votes.
IANS