Sat Nov 23 14:37:21 UTC 2024: ## BJP Wins Five of Seven Rajasthan Assembly By-Elections in Upset Victory
**Jaipur, Rajasthan:** The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a significant victory in the Rajasthan Assembly by-elections, winning five out of seven contested seats. This win increases the BJP’s presence in the state assembly to 119 seats. The results, announced late [Date], were considered an upset, particularly given the BJP’s wins in constituencies they hadn’t held for decades.
Among the most notable wins was Jhunjhunu, a constituency considered a stronghold of the Congress party and the Ola family, who had held the seat since 2003. BJP candidate Rajendra Bhambu defeated Amit Ola, son of the former long-term Congress MLA, by a margin of 42,828 votes – exceeding his vote count in the 2023 general elections. Bhambu’s victory was attributed in part to the performance of independent candidate Rajendra Gudha, who is believed to have drawn votes away from Congress.
Another surprise was the BJP’s victory in Khivsar, where BJP’s Revtram Danga defeated Hanuman Beniwal’s wife, Kanika Beniwal. Analysts suggest that the BJP benefited from a shift in votes from the Congress camp. Danga’s vote count significantly increased compared to the 2023 elections.
In Deoli-Uniyara, BJP’s Rajendra Gurjar won by a margin of 41,121 votes, with the independent candidate Naresh Meena, implicated in a recent “slap incident,” garnering significant votes and impacting the Congress candidate’s performance.
The BJP also secured victories in Salumber and Ramgarh, with the latter witnessing a close contest that swung in the BJP’s favor only in the final rounds.
The Congress party managed to retain only the Dosa constituency, where its candidate, D.D. Bairawa, defeated BJP cabinet minister Kirodilal Meena’s brother, Jagmohan Meena. Jagmohan Meena publicly attributed his loss to internal betrayals within his party.
The BJP has demanded a recount in Dosa, but the administration is yet to make a decision. The overall outcome is a significant boost for the BJP in Rajasthan and highlights shifting political dynamics within the state.
First Piper 