Congress stuns BJP in Anta bypoll as Pramod Jain Bhaya secures fourth Assembly entry

JAIPUR: In a major setback for the ruling BJP in Rajasthan, the Anta Assembly by-election delivered a decisive victory to veteran Congress leader Pramod Jain Bhaya, who has now entered the Assembly for the fourth time. Bhaya secured 69,462 votes, defeating BJP candidate Morpal Suman, who received 53,868 votes. Independent candidate Naresh Meena finished a close third with 53,740 votes. The result is being widely viewed as a morale booster for the Congress as the party looks ahead to the 2028 Assembly elections. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot congratulated Bhaya and used the occasion to criticise the BJP government. In a social media post, he wrote, I express my heartfelt gratitude to all voters for giving Congress victory in the Anta by-election and extend my heartfelt congratulations to newly elected MLA Pramod Jain Bhaya. Congress leaders claimed that the mandate reaffirms public confidence in the leadership of party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. The outcome has also been interpreted as a major setback for Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje, as Anta is considered one of Rajes key influence areas. Adding to the significance, her son and JhalawarBaran MP Dushyant Singh served as the election observer, and Anta falls within his Lok Sabha constituency. Both Bhajanlal and Raje had collectively campaigned for the partys candidate, Morpal Suman. The by-election was seen as a major test for the states BJP government. Treating it as a prestige battle, the BJP fielded its top leadership, including CM Sharma, former CM Raje and several senior leaders, but the campaign strategy failed to deliver. Morpal Suman, considered a close associate of Raje, could not secure a win. The BJPs delay in announcing its candidate had brought speculation that the contest might be smoother for the party. However, the final verdict proved otherwise, triggering internal questions within the BJP about strategy, timing and leadership messaging. The counting process spanned 20 rounds, at the end of which Bhaya emerged victorious with a margin of 15,594 votes. State Congress president Madan Rathod admitted the party faces larger organisational challenges, saying, As the state president, I have the biggest responsibility, so I take responsibility for this defeat. Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Affairs Jawahar Singh Bedham accused the Congress of influencing voters through money power, appeasement, and inducements. Independent candidate Naresh Meena, who attracted significant attention during the campaign, once again failed to convert momentum into victory. His displeasure was evident soon after the results. Meena received support from RLP chief and Jat leader Hanuman Beniwal, independent MLA Rajendra Gudha and AAPs Sanjay Singh, prompting expectations that this contest could strengthen the Third Front in Rajasthan. Instead, the outcome has weakened such prospects. Anta went to a by-election for the first time after BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena lost his seat following his conviction in a criminal case. Although the BJP formed the government in 2023, Kanwarlal Meena had not been inducted into the Cabinet. The constituency recorded an impressive 80.21% voter turnout. Of the 2,28,264 registered voters, 1,83,099 cast their ballots 96,141 men, 86,955 women and three voters from the others category. The outcome is being widely viewed as a morale booster for the Congress as it looks ahead to the 2028 Assembly elections.