Jaipur, Dec 3 (IANS) Seven MLAs, who emerged victorious in the recent by-elections, were sworn in on Tuesday in the Assembly, in a ceremony conducted by Speaker Vasudev Devnani.
Among them was Revantram Danga, who arrived at the Assembly on a tractor. Danga had defeated Kanika Beniwal, the wife of RLP convenor and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal in the Khinvsar Assembly seat. This defeat ended RLP’s dominance in its home constituency, which had represented the constituency since 2008.
In the recently held bypolls, the BJP secured five seats, while Congress and the Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP) claimed one seat each.
With the completion of the by-elections, the total number of MLAs in the Assembly now stands at 200.
On Tuesday, BJP MLAs Revantram Danga, Rajendra Bhambu (who won from Jhunjhunu by defeating Amit Ola, the son of Brijendra Ola), Shanta Devi Meena (elected from Salumber), and Sukhwant Singh (from Ramgarh) took their oaths. Congress MLA Deendayal Bairwa, who triumphed over state Minister Kirori Lal Meena’s brother in Dausa, and BAP MLA Anil Katara, elected from Chaurasi, were also sworn in.
Danga, who had defeated Beniwal, made a grand entrance on a tractor.
The BAP, with four MLAs, is now the third-largest party in the Assembly after BJP and Congress. Its representatives hail from three tribal-dominated districts: Dungarpur, Bagidora in Banswara, and Dhariyavad in Pratapgarh.
Following the by-elections, the Assembly’s composition is as follows: BJP with 119 MLAs, Congress with 66, BAP with 4, BSP with 2, RLD with 1, and 8 Independent MLAs.
The by-elections were held for five seats following the elevation of MLAs to MPs, and two seats became vacant due to the death of MLAs.
Hanuman Beniwal, representing Khinvsar, became an MP for Nagaur; Congress MLA Harish Meena from Deoli-Uniara became MP for Tonk-Sawai Madhopur; Jhunjhunu MLA Brijendra Ola became MP; Dausa MLA Murarlal Meena became MP for Dausa; and BAP MLA Rajkumar Roat from Chaurasi became MP for Banswara-Dungarpur. The Salumber seat became vacant due to the death of BJP MLA Amritlal Meena, while the Ramgarh seat was vacated following the death of Congress MLA Zuber Khan.
–IANS
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