Jaipur, Jun 10 (PTI) The ruling Congress on Friday won three of the four Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, overcoming the challenge posed by the BJP-backed independent candidate Subhash Chandra. The BJP bagged one seat.
Congress candidates Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari and the BJP’s Ghanshyam Tiwari were declared elected by the Election Commission late Friday night.
With this, the Congress’ tally of Rajya Sabha MPs from Rajasthan will increase to six, out of a total of 10. The BJP will have four members.
Of the 200 votes, 199 were valid and one vote was rejected.
Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari got 43, 42 and 41 votes respectively while Ghanshyam Tiwari got 43 votes.
Chandra, a media baron, got 30 votes.
BJP MLA Shobharani Kushwah cross-voted in favour of Congress candidate Pramod Tiwari. The BJP suspended her from the party’s primary membership soon after.
Congratulating the party candidates, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said their victory has given a strong message to the country.
He said that the party would retain power in the assembly elections next year.
The chief minister also thanked BJP MLA Kushwah for cross-voting in favour of Congress candidate Tiwari. He said that she perhaps did not like the horse-trading attempts made by the BJP and therefore voted for the Congress.
“When everybody knows that 126 MLAs are with us, why did they field an independent candidate? They wanted to attempt horse-trading but that did not happen,” Gehlot told reporters at the assembly building.
He came out of the assembly with the newly elected Congress MPs, flashing a victory sign.
“I believe all the three leaders will raise issues of Rajasthan, particularly the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) which will solve water problem in 13 districts,” the chief minister said.
Ahead of the elections, some of the legislators, including BSP-turned-Congress MLAs, had expressed resentment against the government.
However, the chief minister managed to handle the situation and secure the necessary votes for the Congress candidates.
Newly elected Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala said it was a victory of truth.
“The Congress got a total of 127 votes. One vote was rejected because of a minor thing,” he added.
Pramod Tiwari said the magic of Chief Minister Gehlot worked for the Congress.
Earlier, in a tweet, Gehlot congratulated all three Congress candidates for winning the Rajya Sabha elections.
“Congress’ victory on three Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan is a victory of democracy,” he said, while hoping that all the three MPs will be able to strongly advocate the rights of Rajasthan in Delhi.
He briefed the media along with the newly elected Congress MPs outside the assembly building.
Before them, BJP candidate Ghanshyam Tiwari and other leaders of the party announced the party’s victory in one seat.
“I am thankful to the state and the central leadership for making me the candidate. I got 43 votes,” Tiwari said.
BJP state president Satish Poonia, former CM Vasundhara Raje, leader of opposition Gulab Chand Kataria, deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore and other leaders of the party congratulated Tiwari.
Ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress had shifted its MLAs to a hotel in Udaipur to protect them from horse-trading attempts. Later, the BJP also shifted the MLAs to a hotel on the outskirts of Jaipur in the name of a training camp.
Elections on four seats took place as the BJP’s Omprakash Mathur, K J Alphons, Ramkumar Verma and Harshardhan Singh Dungarpur are going to complete their term on July 4. PTI AG SDA SMN SMN
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