The Congress party has announced its candidate for the Anta by-poll seat in Rajasthan’s Baran district, placing its trust once again in former minister Pramod Jain Bhaya. The nomination was approved by the party’s high command ahead of the polls.
n a message posted on X, Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra said, “Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on the Congress party nominating Shri Pramod Jain Bhaya Ji as the Congress candidate for the Anta Assembly by-poll.” Dotasra also expressed confidence in Jain’s ability to connect with voters.
Congress Repeats Its 2023 Contender
In the 2023 assembly elections, Pramod Jain Bhaya had contested from the same seat on a Congress ticket but lost to BJP’s Kanwarlal Meena by 5,861 votes. The seat later fell vacant after Meena’s disqualification, leading to the announcement of a by-election.
Voting for the Anta assembly seat will take place on November 11, while counting of votes is scheduled for November 14.
Who is Pramod Jain Bhaya?
Pramod Jain Bhaya is known as an influential leader from the Hadoti region and has served as a minister in the Ashok Gehlot government. A senior Congress face, Bhaya has been contesting from Anta for several terms. He lost to Prabhu Lal Saini of the BJP in 2013, won against him in 2018, and was again defeated by Kanwar Lal Meena in 2023.
Naresh Meena was also in the race for a Congress ticket from Anta. However, following directions from Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, the party once again placed its faith in Bhaya.
Gehlot’s Hint and Emerging Contest
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had earlier indicated that Naresh Meena would have to wait his turn, remarking that he “should be patient as he is a long-distance runner.” The comment signaled that Bhaya was the party’s preferred choice for this by-election.
With Naresh Meena now announcing his candidacy as an independent, a triangular contest appears likely. While BJP held the seat in the previous term, Meena’s independent run could potentially divide the Congress vote share, making the by-election a closely watched battle.