LONDON: Bangladeshi-British Rupa Asha Huq has been elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) from Ealing Central and Acton constituency in UK general election-2015.

Rupa, who contended in the poll for Labour Party, won the poll by a narrow margin of only 274 votes from her nearest opponent Angie Bray of Conservative Party.

Rupa secured 22,002 votes while Angie Bray got 21,728 votes.

Huq, a sociology lecturer at Kingston University, promised the voters to fight for Ealing Hospital’s A&E and maternity units, which are threatened with closure, despite the area having the third highest birth rate in London.

The older sister of former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Haq, Rupa received support from Independent rival candidate Jonathan Notley, who urged people to vote for her, instead of him, days before the election.

BDST: 0840 HRS, MAY 08, 2015/UPDATE 0856 HRS

HB/AKA

** Exit poll puts Tories close to majority
** Election exit poll puts Tories ahead