BJD emerges winner in Athgarh assembly bypoll

Ruling BJD candidate Ranendra Pratap Swain today defeated his nearest Congress candidate Suresh Chandra Mohapatra by 47,390 votes in the by-election for Athgarh assembly seat in Odisha.

While Swain, a former state minister, polled 87,604 votes, Mohapatra, who is the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC General Secretary garnered 40,214 votes, an official in the Chief Electoral Officer's office (CEO) here said.

BJP's Bikram Dash got 2,377 votes in the seven-corner contest at Athgarh where voting was held on March 18.

The victory of Swain, a four-time MLA, came as a boost to BJD leadership and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. PTI SKN MM