Rajasthan Rajya Sabha: Did the BJP's Infighting Weaken Subhash Chandra's Bid?

The credit for Congress' victory is being given to CM Ashok Gehlot, with the party lauding him for his leadership.

Subhash Chandra.

(Image: Namita Chauhan/The Quint)

Media baron Subhash Chandra's entry as an Independent candidate backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Rajasthan Rajya Sabha elections just a few weeks ago had created a stir within the Congress, forcing it to send its MLAs to a 'safe house' to avoid poaching.

The BJP, too, followed suit to avoid a split in the votes.

As the results of the elections were declared late in the evening on Friday, 10 June, the Congress won three seats, while the BJP bagged one. Chandra, however, faced a defeat in the poll.

While Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is being lauded for the Congress' big win, the infighting within the BJP also seems to have worked in favour of the ruling party in Rajasthan.

What Unfolded on Friday

Congress candidate Randeep Surjewala garnered 43 votes, Mukul Wasnik got 42, and Pramod Tiwari, 43. One vote in the Congress' camp, however, was cancelled.

While BJP candidate Ghanshyam Tiwari got 43 votes, Chandra managed to garner only 30.

CM Gehlot was the first to cast his vote, followed by Rajendra Gudha, who had shifted to the Congress' camp from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Gehlot and the state party president Govind Singh Dotasra also served as polling agents after casting their votes.

Gehlot perhaps chose to become a polling agent himself because of the risk of cross-voting. The candidates who the Congress feared might cross-vote were asked to cast their ballots before others. All six MLAs who had crossed over from the BSP to the Congress were also asked to cast their votes early.

The elections to four Rajya Sabha seats were conducted in the 200-member Assembly. To win one seat, a party needed a total of 41 votes.

To win three of the four Rajya Sabha seats in the state, the Congress needed a total of 123 votes. In the Assembly, the Congress has 108 MLAs, while the BJP has 71. There are also 13 Independents in the Assembly, and a few candidates belonging to other parties.

The Congress needed 15 more MLAs for the third seat. However, from the beginning, the party claimed that it had the support of 126 legislators.

How the Numbers Stacked Up for Chandra

The BJP, as mentioned earlier, has 71 MLAs in the Assembly. Its candidate Ghanshyam Tiwari needed 41 votes. The remaining 30 votes were for Subhash Chandra.

At the same time, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) had already announced that all three of its MLAs would vote for Chandra. Hence, Chandra had a total of 33 votes but needed eight more to win.

Even before the results were announced, Chandra was en route to Delhi.

MLAs Close to Vasundhara Raje Spoiled Chandra's Chances?

The rivalry between former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje and the BJP's high command might have cost the party once again, as was said for the 2018 Assembly polls.

BJP MLA Shobharani Kushwaha, who was being viewed as being distant from the saffron party, cross-voted for Congress' Pramod Tiwari. BJP MLA Garhi Kailash Meena was also accused of showing his vote to someone apart from the party's agent.

The BJP had demanded the cancellation of both these votes, but the request was denied by the Election Commission (EC).

Both Meena and Kushwaha are considered to be a part of former CM Raje's camp.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA Siddhi Kumari cast her vote for BJP candidate Tiwari instead of Independent candidate Chandra, despite the saffron party's decision to have Kumari cast her vote for Chandra.

While the Congress' win is indicative of the clout that the party has within the state, the BJP's infighting in Rajasthan might have cost it dearly.