Bhaktapur, Dec 1 : Nepali Congress candidate Krishnalal Bhandel has won the by-election for the State Assembly (SA) Member from Bhaktapur constituency 1(a). He garnered a total of 13,449 votes to beat his nearest competitor DP Dhakal of Communist Party of Nepal who finished the race with 11,206 votes in his name.    
Likewise, Nepal Workers and Peasants' Party candidate Niraj Lawaju obtained 5,829 votes followed by Rastriya Prajatantra Party's candidate Shyam Prasad Nepal secured 574 votes. Sajha Party's Suraj Pradhan got 385 votes.    
During the 2074 BS election, the then CPN (UML)'s candidate Hari Sharan Lamichhane had become victorious with 12,789 votes and NC's Jeevan Khatri got 9,977 votes and NWPP's Lawaju garnered 7,019 votes.    
The post had been lying vacant since the demise of Lamichhane due to stroke.    
The constituency that comprises all nine wards in the Chagunarayan municipality and 10 wards in the Bhaktapur municipality-10 recorded the total 71.17 voters turnout in the election held yesterday.    
The constituency with a total of 45,015 voters: 21,935 male and 23,080 women, while 32,037 (15,665 male and 16,372 female) exercised their franchise.