Bengaluru: The ruling Congress in Karnataka on Saturday retained its strong hold of Sandur, with its candidate E Annapoorna, winning the Assembly bypoll by a margin of 9,649 votes.

Annapoorna, the wife of Bellary MP E Tukaram, won the seat vacated by her husband, defeating BJP ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu.

The bypoll for the Sandur seat was necessitated following the election of E Tukaram of Congress to Lok Sabha in May elections.

The by-election was held on November 13 and the votes were counted today.

While Annapoorna secured 93,616 votes, Hanumanthu got 83,967 votes, the Election Commission said.

Tukaram, who had represented Sandur four times, had won the seat for Congress in the 2023 Assembly polls by a margin of 35,522 votes, securing 85,223 votes.