Cong wins Jamalpur, UDF Tiruvalla

UDF candidate Elizabeth Mammen Mathai of the Kerala Congress (M) won the Tiruvalla by-election by a margin of 4,669 votes. While the Congress retained the Jamalpur seat for the second consecutive term, the BJP, which has never won this seat, failed to break tradition. With this victory, the Congress has retained its strength of 50 in the 182-member Gujarat State Assembly.

In the keenly-fought Tiruvalla by-election, Elizabeth, wife of the late Mammen Mathai, polled 41,453 votes. Her nearest rival, LDF candidate Varghese George of the Janata Dal (S), garnered 36,784 votes. Mammen Mathai had won the seat in the 2001 Assembly election.

The UDF victory assumes added significance as the two UDF partners, the Kerala Congress (Jacob) and the Kerala Congress (B), had not entered the campaign in the constituency.

IUML leader Panakkad Syed Muhammedali Shihab Thangal said that the Tiruvalla bypoll result was a strong rebuff to the LDF for having tried to capture power by scuttling the popular mandate in favour of the UDF in the state.

Karnataka minister quits over defeat

BANGALORE: Karnataka Minister of State for Infrastructure and Civil Aviation T. John, who was defeated by rebel Congress candidate Arun Machiah in polls to the Legislative Council, resigned from the ministry on Thursday, ‘‘owning moral responsibility’’.

John met Chief Minister S.M. Krishna in the Vidhana Soudha and submitted his resignation letter to him. The minister’s statement that he was ‘‘backstabbed’’ by his partymen has come as an embarrassment to the Congress.

Speaking to reporters after submitting the letter, John said no one had asked for his resignation and that he had taken the step on his own. ‘‘The Chief Minister said that he would look into the matter,’’ he added.

On his defeat, John alleged that his party colleagues, including some office-bearers, did not work sincerely during the election. When asked if any of the ministers in the district had worked against him, he said that had to be investigated.

But Kodagu district in-charge M.M. Nanaiah said John’s defeat was ‘‘totally unexpected’’ for the party.

Top PW leader held in Bengal

KOLKATA: People’s War (PW) leader Asit Sarkar was arrested from his hideout in a forest at Salboni in West Midnapore district on Thursday, police said. IGP (law and order) Chayan Mukherjee said that Sarkar alias Mangal Singh was one of the founders of the PW in West Bengal. ‘‘He was the most wanted PW leader in the state and it was a big catch for us,’’ he said.