Officials reported a woman won a municipal election in India over two weeks after her death as supporters honoured their vow to support her.
In the contest for a municipal civic board seat in India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh last month, Ashiya Bi received over 44% of the vote and was proclaimed won posthumously.
The popular 30-year-old first-time candidate became unwell and died just 12 days before the election, apparently from an acute lung and stomach illness.
Her husband notified election officials, but district officer Bhagwan Sharan told AFP on Tuesday that no process existed to remove her name from the ballot.
Sharan explained that it cannot be halted or paused once the electoral process begins.
Bi was a big hit with voters before she died, and many decided to vote for her as a show of love and admiration.
"Ashiya made friends easily, and people didn't want to break the promise of support they gave her, hence the result," a resident Mohammad Zakir told the Times of India Daily.
Muntazim Qureishi, her husband, said Bi had "won hearts with her calm demeanor."
"Our votes are a tribute to her," another voter, Arif, was quoted in the publication as saying.
Personal, familial, and community affiliations are critical in India's sometimes colourful and turbulent elections.
