BJD candidate Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh is all set win the Kandhamal Lok Sabha by-poll Sunday as she is ahead of her nearest rival by over two lakh votes.The widow of Hemendra Narayan Singh, the Lok Sabha member who died recently necessitating the bypoll, she has secured over 422,286 votes while her rival, Rudramadhav Ray of the BJP has managed to secure 162,352 votes.Congress candidate Abhimanyu Behera has got 77,802 votes, said officials.Counting of votes has almost concluded in four out of the seven assembly constituencies in the Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency, said the official.
"It is the victory of BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. I will give all credit to him and the people of Kandhamal," Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh said.The byelection was held Oct 15. Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra said: "We accept our defeat in the constituency. We would work to strengthen our party and to instill faith in people about the party."The Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituency covers seven assembly seats spread over four districts: Kandhamal, Boudh, Nayagarh and Ganjam.