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

The BJP’s 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 AAP’s 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.



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