Historic Victory: Anuradha Rana Wins Lahaul and Spiti Bypolls

Anuradha Rana, a Congress candidate, triumphed in the Lahaul and Spiti bypolls, marking a historic win as the second woman to claim victory in this constituency after 52 years. She defeated Independent candidate Ram Lal Markanda with a margin of 1,960 votes, while BJP's Ravi Thakur secured the third position.

Anuradha Rana, the Congress candidate, clinched a significant victory in the Lahaul and Spiti bypolls on Tuesday, defeating Independent candidate and former BJP minister Ram Lal Markanda by a margin of 1,960 votes.

This victory is historic as it marks the first time in 52 years that a woman has contested the elections from Lahaul and Spiti, with Rana becoming the second woman ever to win from this assembly segment. She secured 9,414 votes compared to Markanda's 7,454 votes, while BJP candidate Ravi Thakur finished third with 3,049 votes.

The Lahaul and Spiti assembly constituency, the largest in Himachal by area but with the smallest electorate of 25,967, saw a voter turnout of 75.09 percent. The seat had fallen vacant following the disqualification of six Congress rebels who had voted for a BJP candidate in Rajya Sabha polls, defying their party's whip.