Campaigning for the Anta Assembly bypoll in Rajasthan's Baran district will close on Sunday (November 9, 2025) evening, marking the end of a spirited contest between the ruling BJP, the Opposition Congress, and an Independent candidate.
What began as a routine by-election has now become a prestige test for Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and former CMs Vasundhara Raje and Ashok Gehlot.
Polling will be held on November 11, and the results will be declared on November 14. The seat fell vacant after BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena was disqualified after he was convicted for pointing a pistol at a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM).
The BJP has fielded local leader Morpal Suman, said to be Ms. Raje's choice, while the Congress has put its faith in Pramod Jain Bhaya, a two-time MLA, a former Minister and a Gehlot loyalist. Independent Naresh Meena, who earlier sought a BJP ticket, has complicated the arithmetic, turning the contest triangular.
For the BJP, the bypoll doubles as a test of internal unity. On Thursday, Mr. Sharma and Ms. Raje held a joint roadshow in Anta, a rare show of solidarity seen as an attempt to project cohesion amid persistent talks of factionalism within the party.
