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BJP candidate Aman Giri has taken a comfortable lead of about 25,000 votes over his nearest rival as counting of votes progressed in the Gola Gokarannath assembly bypolls on Sunday.
While Giri has got 73,371 votes so far, Samajwadi Party’s Vinay Tiwari got 48,739 votes, officials said after the 18th round of counting.
Counting started here at 8 am amid tight security arrangements.
Returning Officer Anurag Singh said the counting is likely to be held in 32 rounds.
The November 3 Gokarannath assembly bypolls recorded a polling percentage of 57.35 per cent. Seven contestants were in the fray.
The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of BJP MLA Arvind Giri on September 6.
The BSP and the Congress kept away from the poll this time. The main contest was between BJP’s Aman Giri, the son of Arvind Giri, and SP candidate and former Gola Gokarannath MLA Tiwari.
The BJP’s campaign was led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Gola Gokarannath is part of Union minister Ajay Mishra’s Lakhimpur Kheri parliamentary constituency.
Mishra has been in the eye of a storm following the killing of four farmers during violence in October last year. His son is an accused in the case.
