Jaipur: Congress candidate Pramod Jain Bhaya won the Anta assembly bypoll in Rajasthan with 69,571 votes, defeating his nearest rival and BJP nominee Morpal Suman by a margin of 15,612 votes, according to the Election Commission.

Suman got 53,959 votes, beating Independent candidate and Congress rebel Naresh Meena, who was initially in second place, by 159 votes in a tantalisingly close contest.

Bhaya maintained his lead throughout.

A total of 15 candidates were in the fray.

The Anta bypoll was necessitated after BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena was disqualified following his conviction in a criminal case.

In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, BJP currently holds 118 seats, Congress 66, Bharat Adivasi Party four, Bahujan Samaj Party two and Rashtriya Lok Dal one.

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