Jaipur: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delivered a strong performance in the Rajasthan Assembly bypolls, winning five of the seven seats contested, marking a major boost for the party ahead of the 2024 general elections. The results dealt a significant blow to the Congress, which won just one seat, Dausa, while the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) lost its traditional stronghold of Khinwsar for the first time since its formation in 2008. The Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) retained its seat in Chorasi.
BJP’s Resurgence and Congress’s Decline
The BJP, which entered the bypolls with just one seat in its tally, retained Salumber and secured victories in Jhunjhunu, Ramgarh, Deoli-Uniara, and Khinwsar. The Congress, which previously held four of these seats, managed to retain only Dausa, finishing third in four constituencies.
This strong showing by the BJP is attributed to effective management of internal dissent, a spirited campaign, and its advantage as the ruling party in the state. Conversely, the Congress lost momentum after the Haryana Assembly poll results, failing to recover in time for the bypolls.
Key Constituencies and Results
Salumber
The BJP retained its lone seat of Salumber, with Shanta Meena narrowly defeating the Bharat Adivasi Party’s Jitesh Katara by a margin of 1,300 votes. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of BJP MLA Amrit Lal, whose wife Shanta contested and secured the seat.
Jhunjhunu
A significant victory for the BJP came in Jhunjhunu, a Congress stronghold dominated by the Ola family for decades. The BJP’s Rajendra Bhamboo defeated Congress’s Amit Ola, son of veteran leader Brijendra Ola, by a decisive margin of 43,000 votes. This marks the BJP’s first win in Jhunjhunu in 21 years.
Khinwsar
In another notable win, the BJP captured Khinwsar, a seat previously dominated by the RLP since 2008. Hanuman Beniwal’s wife, Kanika Beniwal, lost to BJP candidate Rewant Ram by close to 14,000 votes. The defeat is a major setback for the Beniwal family and the RLP.
Deoli-Uniara
The BJP’s Rajendra Gurjar emerged victorious in Deoli-Uniara with a commanding margin of over 41,000 votes. Congress rebel Naresh Meena, who made headlines for slapping an SDM during polling, came second, while the Congress’s K C Meena finished third.
Ramgarh
The contest in Ramgarh remained tight but eventually swung in favor of the BJP’s Sukhvant Singh, who defeated Congress’s Aryaan Zubair. The seat had been vacated following the death of Congress MLA Zubair Khan, whose son Aryaan failed to retain it.
Dausa
The Congress managed to retain Dausa, defeating BJP’s Jagmohan Meena, brother of Cabinet Minister Kirodi Lal Meena, by a narrow margin of 2,300 votes. The BJP lodged a request for partial recounting after raising concerns about the results.
Chorasi
The Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) retained its seat in Chorasi, maintaining its stronghold in the region.
Impact on Key Leaders
The bypoll results dealt setbacks to several prominent political figures. The BJP’s success is seen as a boost for Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, whose leadership played a key role in the party’s strong campaign. However, BJP Cabinet Minister Kirodi Lal Meena faced embarrassment as his brother failed to secure a win in Dausa.
For the Congress, the results were a blow to its prospects in the state. The Ola family’s loss in Jhunjhunu and the party’s inability to hold onto strongholds like Ramgarh reflect the declining influence of the party in key regions. Similarly, the RLP, led by Hanuman Beniwal, suffered its first-ever loss in Khinwsar, marking a significant shift in voter sentiment.
