Despite communal tension simmering in the last couple of days in Manglaur, Uttarakhand, Congress candidate Qazi Nizamuddin won the Manglaur by-elections by 422 votes.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate Kartar Singh Bhadana and Bahujan Samaj Party’s candidate Obedur Rehman finished second and third respectively.
Violence erupted on July 10 when reports of Muslims being attacked and turned back from the polling booth emerged. A video surfaced on the internet showing injured Muslim men being sent back from the polling booth without casting their votes after reportedly being severely beaten with sticks. Police personnel are also seen in the video.
Congress candidate Qazi Muhammad Nizamuddin escorted the injured to the hospital.
By-elections were held in two assembly constituencies-Manglaur and Badrinath- in Uttarakhand. In Manglaur, the constituency previously represented by Sarwat Karim Ansari of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) became vacant last year following his demise on October 30.
India bloc leads
The India bloc parties won three assembly seats and were leading by eight, while the BJP and an Independent were ahead by one each as votes were counted on Saturday for the by-elections held earlier this week, according to the trends on the EC website.
