Cong wins Vallabhnagar, Dhariawad Assembly seats in Rajasthan

Jaipur: The ruling Congress on Tuesday won the bypolls to the Vallabhnagar and Dhariawad Assembly segments in Rajasthan, pushing the opposition BJP to the third and fourth places there. Before the bypolls, the Dhariawad seat was represented by the BJP and Vallabhnagar by the Congress.

With the win, the tally of the Congress in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly reached 108 against BJP's 71 MLAs.

The BJP has accepted defeat in the bypolls, with its state chief Satish Poonia saying it depended on "local equations".

In Pratapgarh's Dhariawad, Congress candidate Nagraj Meena won by a margin of 18,725 votes.

Meena defeated his nearest rival and Independent candidate Thawarchand, according to the result declared by the Election Commission.

Nagraj and Thawarchand secured 69,819 (39.16 per cent) and 51,094 (28.66 per cent) votes, respectively.

BJP candidate Khet Singh stood third with 46,487 (26.08 perc ent) votes.

Meanwhile, Preeti Shaktawat defeated Rashtriya Loktantrik Party's candidate Udailal Dangi in Vallabhnagar by a margin of 20,606 votes.

Shaktawat received 65,713 votes and Dangi 45,107.

Dangi is a BJP rebel who contested as an RLP candidate.

Former BJP MLA and chief of the Janta Sena, Randhir Singh Bhindar, who contested as an independent candidate, stood third by securing 43,817 votes. BJP candidate Himmat Singh Jhala got 21,433 votes.

Preeti Shaktawat is the wife of former MLA Gajendra Singh Shaktawat, who had died due to coronavirus.

After the results, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted that people have stamped on their policies, programmes and good governance.

He said by supporting the Congress candidates, people have given more strength to the state government. "Congratulations and best wishes to Preeti Shaktawat and Nagaraj Meena for their victory in the Assembly by-elections. Gratitude to the voters of both constituencies and congratulations to the workers and leaders of the Congress party," he tweeted.

Congress State president Govind Singh Dotasra said that the bypolls results indicate that Congress government in the state is doing good job and the party will form government again in the upcoming assembly elections in 2023 with a huge margin.