Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur
Jaipur, Nov 22: The BJP is facing internal dissent following its loss in the Anta Assembly bypoll in Baran district, with murmurs of discontent within the party over campaign strategies and alleged neglect of senior leaders. Seven-time BJP MLA Pratap Singh Singhvi claimed he was sidelined during campaigning despite his constituency, Chhabra, also falling under Baran. Singhvi said he was excluded from the star campaigners list, received no responsibilities despite being on the poll committee, and was omitted from advertisements for CM Bhajan Lal Sharma’s rally.
The bypoll saw Congress candidate Pramod Jain Bhaya defeat BJP’s Morpal Suman by 15,612 votes, while party rebel Naresh Meena also contested. Kanwarlal Meena, the former MLA, had been disqualified earlier this year in a 20-year-old case.
Rajasthan in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agrawal attempted to frame the defeat as a testament to “impartial elections,” stating, “If we wanted, Anta election could have been in our pocket through unfair means, but we respected people’s sentiment and conducted it with honesty.” He cited the 81% voter turnout as proof and called the result a “win of BJP’s principles and democracy.”
Congress reacted sharply to Agrawal’s remarks. Spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi said, “Radha Mohan ji is making a mockery of democracy… the Anta bypoll results indicate the failure of the double-engine government, as people have rejected them despite claims it would be a vote on CM’s work.”
Agrawal, who has been Rajasthan BJP’s in-charge since July 2024, has courted controversy repeatedly, making remarks targeting senior leaders including Ashok Gehlot, Vasundhara Raje, Sachin Pilot, and Rajendra Rathore. His statements have drawn backlash from party members, Rajput outfits, and Congress supporters, with incidents of effigy burnings and ink attacks on him reported in multiple districts.
His controversial statements have ranged from questioning Rathore’s absence at party meetings to derogatory comments against Gehlot and Pilot, and he has previously referred to RLP chief Hanuman Beniwal as a “rat” following a bypoll loss.
The Anta bypoll loss underscores growing unrest within the BJP’s Rajasthan unit, highlighting tensions between senior leaders, campaign management issues, and the challenges the party faces in maintaining unity ahead of future elections.