Rajasthan Assembly bypolls: Congress gains one seat while BJP loses one seat

Yash Goyal
Jaipur, October 24 

The ruling Congress party on Thursday raised its tally in the Rajasthan Assembly to 108 by winning the Mandawa seat while NDA’s sole partner Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLTP) won the Kheenvsar seat.

Rita Choudhary won the Mandawa assembly bypoll by defeating BJP’s Sushila Sigara by a margin of 32,666 votes. 

Whereas the NDA’s partner Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLTP) candidate Narayan Beniwal, brother of MP and RLTP convener Hanuman Beniwal, defeated Congress’ former minister Harendra Mirdha on Kheenvsar seat by a margin of 4,630 votes.

The BJP did not field its candidate on this seat. 

Having over two-third majority in the House of 200, the Congress now has 108 MLAs, BJP’s figure reduced from 73 to 72, while RLTP remained at 3, CPM-2, and others 15. 

In January, the Congress had also won the Ramgarh Assembly election (which was postponed in 2018 following a death of a candidate) by defeating BJP’s Sukhwant Singh. 

Reacting on the poll outcome, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Congress candidate Rita Choudhary has won with a big margin of over 32,666 votes on Mandawa seat, while on Kheenvsar seat, the loss margin has sharply decreased to 4630 as against 55,000 votes difference in May’s Lok Sabha polls on this particular segment.

The BJP lost Mandawa seat which was won in 2018 elections by Narendra Kumar Kheechar, who later vacated this seat after winning Jhunjhunu Lok Sabha seat. 

RLTP’s Beniwal had vacated Kheenvsar seat after winning Lok Sabha polls on Nagaur seat in May.