<p>Palakkad: In a major boost to the opposition Congress-led UDF, the grand old party retained the Palakkad Assembly seat with its candidate Rahul Mamkootathil winning by a significant margin of 18,840 votes, pushing the ruling Left bloc to the third spot.</p>.<p>Mamkootathil secured 58,389 votes as against BJP's C Krishnakumar who garnered 39,549 votes, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).</p>.<p>LDF candidate Dr P Sarin, the former Digital Media Convener of KPCC who switched to the Left after the national party announced the candidacy of Youth Congress state president Mamkootathil, finished third with 37,293 votes.</p>.<p>Krishnakumar initially led the race. However, Mamkootathil gained a narrow lead of 1,425 votes in the seventh round of counting and then on, steadily increased his margin in the subsequent rounds.</p>.Kerala bypolls: Priyanka heading towards thumping victory in Wayanad.<p>In the 2021 Assembly polls, Congress leader Shafi Parambil who polled 54,079 votes defeated 'Metroman' E Sreedharan, the BJP candidate who received 50,220 votes. LDF candidate C P Promod had then finished third with 36,433 votes.</p>.<p>The present by-election was necessitated by the resignation of Congress' Shafi Parambil, who vacated the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Vadakara in the general election this year. </p>
<p>Palakkad: In a major boost to the opposition Congress-led UDF, the grand old party retained the Palakkad Assembly seat with its candidate Rahul Mamkootathil winning by a significant margin of 18,840 votes, pushing the ruling Left bloc to the third spot.</p>.<p>Mamkootathil secured 58,389 votes as against BJP's C Krishnakumar who garnered 39,549 votes, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).</p>.<p>LDF candidate Dr P Sarin, the former Digital Media Convener of KPCC who switched to the Left after the national party announced the candidacy of Youth Congress state president Mamkootathil, finished third with 37,293 votes.</p>.<p>Krishnakumar initially led the race. However, Mamkootathil gained a narrow lead of 1,425 votes in the seventh round of counting and then on, steadily increased his margin in the subsequent rounds.</p>.Kerala bypolls: Priyanka heading towards thumping victory in Wayanad.<p>In the 2021 Assembly polls, Congress leader Shafi Parambil who polled 54,079 votes defeated 'Metroman' E Sreedharan, the BJP candidate who received 50,220 votes. LDF candidate C P Promod had then finished third with 36,433 votes.</p>.<p>The present by-election was necessitated by the resignation of Congress' Shafi Parambil, who vacated the seat after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Vadakara in the general election this year. </p>