Rajasthan bypolls: BJP surges in RLP stronghold; Jyoti Mirdha predicts victory in all 7 seats

Jaipur, Nov 23 : BJP leader Jyoti Mirdha on Saturday expressed confidence in her party's prospects, asserting that BJP would emerge victorious in all seven Assembly seats in Rajasthan, where bypolls were recently conducted.

BJP has pinned its hopes on Revant Ram Danga for the Khinwsar Assembly seat, where he is locked in a direct contest with Kanika Beniwal, wife of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) MP Hanuman Beniwal.

Trends till noon show Danga leading with over 3,000 votes, while Kanika Beniwal was trailing.

Mirdha, who previously contested the Nagaur Lok Sabha seat, has actively campaigned for the BJP candidate in Khinwsar.

Exuding optimism, Mirdha stated, "The winning margin in Khinwsar will surely be large as BJP has managed to establish a good lead. Even in areas where we anticipated challenges, the trends are exceeding our expectations."

She further added, "I firmly believe the BJP will secure a significant victory here and on all other seven seats in the state."

Khinwsar has long been regarded as a bastion of the RLP, but Mirdha suggested that the public sentiment had shifted in favour of BJP.

"Hanuman Beniwal used to call this seat the capital of RLP, but it seems the capital is being dismantled. The difference is notable, and during our village campaigns, it was evident from the public's response that they favoured BJP," Mirdha remarked.

As per early trends, BJP was leading in three seats, namely Deoli-Uniara, Khinwsar, and Jhunjhunu, while Congress was ahead in Ramgarh and Dausa. The Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) led in Salumber and Chorasi.

The seven seats up for grabs included one previously held by BJP, four by Congress, and one each by RLP and BAP.

The bypolls were necessitated on three seats as their legislators were elected to the Lok Sabha, while the deaths of sitting MLAs triggered elections in Ramgarh and Salumber.

Election Commission officials indicated that counting of EVM votes began at 8:30 a.m. and would proceed in multiple rounds, with Jhunjhunu and Salumber requiring 22 rounds each, Ramgarh 21 rounds, Deoli-Uniara and Khinwsar 20 rounds each, and Dausa and Chaurasi 18 rounds each.

The voter turnout for the bypolls stood at 69.72 per cent, lower than the 74.74 per cent recorded during the 2023 Assembly elections. Notably, six of the seven seats registered reduced voter participation compared to the previous polls.