The ruling Congress, which holds a thin majority of 27 of the 51 seats, had to watch helplessly as party deserter Rama Devi won the post of Jaipur zila pramukh defeating its own Saroj Devi Sharma by the barest of margins.
BJP won the election, which was held at the Jaipur Zila Parishad office amid tight security, by one vote after bagging 26 votes to 25 of Congress.
A last-minute defection by Congress zila parishad member Rama Devi to BJP altered the equation completely in favour of the saffron party. Devi, who won as zila parishad member on Congress symbol from Ward No. 17, was fielded by BJP as candidate for the zila pramukh post.
Congress MLA Ved Prakash Solanki’s aide, Jaiky Kumar Tantiyawal, who had won from Ward No. 18 as Congress candidate, too, voted in favour of BJP, taking the Congress tally down to 25. Prakash, who is a staunch Pilot supporter, had earlier said that it would be his responsibility if Kumar didn’t vote in favour of Congress.
An altercation ensued between BJP and Congress workers outside the zila parishad office when Jaiky was brought to the election centre by BJP supporters. Later, the police had to resort to lathicharge when some Congress workers blocked the vehicle, which was supposed to be taken by BJP members and Jaiky. Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi and deputy leader of opposition in state assembly Rajendra Singh Rathore were present at the time of voting. Later, they drove away in the same car in the presence of mediapersons.
After winning the post of zila pramukh, Rama Devi told reporters, “I switched over to BJP as the party’s state president Satish Pooniaji reposed faith in me to discharge the responsibility of a zila pramukh. I approached the BJP as their ideology suited my way of looking at various issues. They (BJP) didn’t come to me. I will work towards the development of the Jaipur district.”
Earlier, the Congress had suspended Rama Devi’s primary membership for six years after she filed her nomination paper as a BJP candidate. Before filing her papers, she was inducted into BJP by party president Satish Poonia.
