Congress candidate, Pramod Jain Bhaya, won the Anta bypoll in Rajasthan with 69,571 votes, declared the Election Commission on Friday.
He defeated his nearest rival and BJP nominee, Morpal Suman, by a margin of 15,612 votes. Suman got 53,959 votes, beating Independent candidate and Congress rebel Naresh Meena, who was initially in second place, by 159 votes in a tantalisingly close contest.
Bhaya maintained his lead throughout among 15 candidates who were in the fray.
In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, BJP currently holds 118 seats, Congress 66, Bharat Adivasi Party four, Bahujan Samaj Party two and Rashtriya Lok Dal one
He was congratulated by Rajasthan Congress president, Govind Singh Dotasra, who said the bypoll was a two-year test of the BJP government, which it had “failed”.
“I congratulate Pramod Jain Bhaya for his victory and also thank all Congress workers who worked tirelessly,” he told reporters.
“Saluting the people of Anta”, Dotasra said they had ensured Congress’s victory and delivered a “strong message ahead of the 2028 assembly elections”.
“I salute the people of Anta. They have ensured Congress’s victory. The bypoll result clearly reflects that the BJP government has failed in performance. Voters have delivered a strong message ahead of the 2028 assembly elections. I am confident that the Congress will win the upcoming assembly polls in the state,” he said.
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Dostara also said despite the fact that state Chief Minister, Bhajalal Sharma, campaigned in Anta twice while ministers stayed there, and that former CM Vasundhra Raje also had a camp in Anta, the people voted for Congress.
“Despite the misuse of money power, the BJP remained behind from the start. The people of Rajasthan feel cheated by the BJP,” he said.
The state party president alleged that the ruling party has no substantive work to show on the ground.
“People are unhappy. The BJP’s internal strife, bureaucratic interference, and corruption over the last two years are visible to everyone,” he added.
The assembly seat in Anta had fallen vacant following the disqualification of BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena after his conviction in a criminal case.
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