She wins poll, but loses Covid battle

LUCKNOW : Fifty-five-year-old Vimala Devi won the gram pradhan’s election from Kapuri Ekauna gram panchayat in Deoria district but lost the fight against Covid-19 on Sunday.

She complained of fever and a breathing problem on Saturday evening, prompting her family members to rush her to the Deoria district hospital where the medical officer admitted her to the Covid ward.

She was put on oxygen support on Sunday morning, but her condition deteriorated. She died at 9.30am.

“On Saturday, she complained of fever. We admitted her to hospital but failed to save her life. Instead of celebration,

the villagers are mourning the death of my wife,” her husband Ram Manohar Tripathi said.

On Sunday morning, the counting of votes started at the counting centre set up at Bhagalpur block of the district. In the evening, returning officer declared Vimala Devi the winner in the gram pradhan’s election from Kapuri Ekauna. She polled 556 votes, while her nearest rival Sarva Prabha secured 348 votes.

No one from the family was present at the counting centre. Her husband said the seat was reserved for women candidates.

He also said his wife was a social activist who wished to work for development of the village and welfare of the poor. She campaigned after filing the nomination papers and stayed home once the polling was over last month, he added.