AJSU leads by 21,960 votes after 9th round of counting in Ramgarh bypoll

AJSU party candidate Sunita Choudhary was leading by 21,960 votes over her nearest rival Bajrang Mahto of the Congress after the ninth round of counting in the Ramgarh by-election, an official said on Thursday.

The AJSU party, which has tied up with the BJP for the bypoll, got 1,04,442 votes while the Congress, an ally of the ruling JMM-led coalition, got 82,482 after the completion of the ninth round of counting, the official said.

Counting of votes for the Ramgarh assembly by-election began at 8 am at Ramgarh college, some 40 km from the state capital Ranchi, said Ramgarh SDO cum Returning officer Md Javed Hussain.

A voter turnout of over 67.96 per cent was recorded in the Ramgarh assembly constituency bypoll on February 27.

Though 18 candidates, including 14 Independents, were in the fray, the contest is mainly between the Congress, an ally of the ruling JMM-led coalition, and the AJSU party, which has tied up with the BJP for the bypoll.

The by-election was necessitated after the disqualification of Congress legislator Mamta Devi, following her conviction in a criminal case.

The Congress has fielded Mamta Devi's husband, Bajrang Mahto, from the seat while the AJSU party has nominated Sunita Choudhary.