Congress Wins Crucial Kerala By-Election With Margin of 10,000 Votes

Congress candidate KS Sabarinathan after his victory in the Kerala bypoll on Tuesday

Thiruvananthapuram:  The Congress-led coalition government has won an important by-election in Kerala at a time when it is confronting an array of corruption allegations. The Congress candidate, KS Sabarinathan, has been elected to the state legislature from Aruvikkara by a margin of more than 10,000 votes. State elections in Kerala will take place next year.

Mr Sabarinathan, 31, is a political rookie but his father, G Karthikeyan, was a Congress leader and served as Speaker of the Kerala Assembly till he died in March.

Mr Sabarinathan defeated M Vijayakumar, of the Left, a seasoned politician.

"My father won from this constituency for 24 years, the baton has now passed on to me by the  people," the winner said in the midst of celebrations with party workers. "People have reiterated their faith in the development-centred UDF," said claimed of the coalition government that is headed by his party's Oomen Chandy.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, an MP from Kerala, toasted the victory as the arrival of a new young leader.