BJP's vote share declines in Rajasthan bypolls

Within just ten months of its assuming power in Rajasthan, BJP not only lost three out of four assembly seats to opposition Congress, but its vote share and winning margin declined too, according to data.
Congress candidates today wrested Nasirabad, Surajgarh, and Weir assembly seats, while the ruling BJP could retain only the Kota-South seat.
As against an overall polling percentage of 75.67 per cent in assembly polls-2013, the bypoll in four assembly constituencies of Surajgarh, Weir, Nasirabad and Kota-South jointly recorded 65.27 per cent. It is 10.40 per cent less than the last polls.
Had the percentage gone higher like assembly election in 2013 to 75.67 per cents, the BJP might have lost Kota-South seat as its winning margin in bypolls decreased from 49,439 votes (2013) to near half 25,707 in bypolls.

Kota-South's polling percentage decreased from 74 per cent (2013) to 60.78 per cent.
On remaining three seats where the Congress candidates won, the BJP had won Weir seat in assembly-2013 by a margin of 13,423 votes, now in bypolls it lost to Congress by a huge margin of 25,108 votes. Last year, Weir had recorded 69.66 per cent voters turn out, this time it was 60.76 per cent.

In last year's assembly poll BJP had won Nasirabad seat with a huge margin of 28,900 votes, now it lost to Congress candidate by a margin of just 386 votes. Nasirabad's polling percentage also declined to 70.28 per cent from 82.54.

In Surajgarh seat, Congress candidate Shravan Kumar, who lost the 2013 polls to BJP candidate Santosh Ahlawat by a margin of 50,219 votes, won the bypolls by 3,270 votes. Here too, the polling percentage declined from 75.43 to 69.91.
When contacted, Rajasthan Congress unit spokesperson Archnao Sharma told PTI the poor voters' turn out was due to interference of the Raje administration during the voting day.
Voters got reluctant and did not go to booth especially in Kota-South where Congress would have won had the turnout was high, the spokesperson said.
The entire government machinery was misused in the bypoll and BJP ministers were camping in each of four assembly constituencies right up to the polling day, she added.

State BJP president Ashok Parnami refused to speak on the matter, saying the party will review its performance and fix responsibility.