Big jolt to Raje govt, Congress sweeps all 3 bypolls seats in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: In a massive jolt to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government ahead of the state polls later this year, the Congress on Thursday swept all three bypolls in Rajasthan.

Defeating the BJP’s Shakti Singh Hada, Congress candidate Vivek Dhakar won Mandalgarh Assembly seat by 12,976 votes. 

In Ajmer, Congress candidate Raghu Sharma defeated BJP's Ramswaroop Lamba, while in Alwar, Congress leader Dr Karan Singh Yadav established his victory, defeating the BJP’s Jaswant Yadav by 196,496 votes.

The voting for the seats was held on Monday, January 29, 2018. A total of 42 candidates in fray for three seats in Rajasthan. The by-elections on all the three Rajasthan seats were necessitated after the sudden death of BJP MPs Sanwarlal Jat from Ajmer, Mahant Chand Nath Yogi from Alwar, and MLA Kirti Kumari from Mandalgarh. 

Ajmer registered 65.20 per cent voting, Alwar had 61.86 and Mandalgarh saw 78.78 per cent polling, said a senior election officer.

The bypolls on all the three Rajasthan seats were necessitated after the sudden death of BJP MPs Sanwarlal Jat from Ajmer, Mahant Chand Nath Yogi from Alwar, and MLA Kirti Kumari from Mandalgarh.