Uttarakhand: Pushkar Singh Dhami wins from Champawat seat, retains CM post

New Delhi, Jun 03: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday won the bypoll to the Champawat Assembly seat by more than 55,000 votes. Congress candidate Nirmala Gahtori has lost deposit.

The bypoll was crucial as Dhami had to win to remain as chief minister.

Dhami garnered 58,258 votes against Gahtori's 3,233 votes, winning by a record margin of 55,025 votes, election officials in Champawat said.

Gahtori lost her deposit, they said.

Though chief ministers of Uttarakhand who contested by-polls never lost , this is the highest margin with which a CM has won a bypoll in the hill state.

Dhami has rewritten the record of Vijay Bahuguna who had won a bypoll from Sitarganj on a Congress ticket in 2012 by 40,000 votes.

Dhami who lost from Khatima in the state assembly polls held in February is trying his luck from Champawat to become an MLA - a constitutional requirement he needs to fulfil within six months of being sworn in as chief minister.

Former BJP MLA Kailash Gehtori had resigned from the Champawat seat last month to make way for Dhami to contest from the seat.

The chief minister campaigned aggressively in Champawat along with Kailash Gehtori after filing his nominations on May 9 to seek votes by asking people to give him an opportunity to serve them.

BJP star campaigner and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also campaigned for Dhami in Tanakpur.

Click Here to check Champawat bypoll resutls.