Jaipur, Oct 8 (NationPress) The Congress Party has officially named former minister Pramod Jain Bhaya as its candidate for the forthcoming by-election in the Anta Assembly constituency within Rajasthan's Baran district. This announcement was made by Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal.

Bhaya, who faced defeat against the BJP candidate Kanwar Lal Meena in the 2023 Assembly elections, has been renominated, indicating a tactical approach by the party to secure an advantage by announcing its candidate prior to the ruling party.

The Anta seat became available after BJP legislator Kanwar Lal Meena, a known supporter of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, was disqualified in May 2025 due to his conviction in a 20-year-old case involving an incident where he was found guilty of aiming a pistol at an SDM during an official inspection.

As per the latest voter list released on October 1, the Anta Assembly constituency has a total of 2,27,563 registered voters, comprising 1,15,982 male voters, 1,10,241 female voters, and 4 voters in the 'other' category. The recent voter list revision campaign added 1,336 new voters in anticipation of the by-election.

In response, former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress stalwart Ashok Gehlot expressed: 'Congratulations to Pramod Jain Bhaya on his nomination as the candidate by the Congress Party for the Anta Assembly by-election. I am fully confident that with the people's support, the Congress Party will secure a significant victory in the Anta election.'

'I urge all Congress workers and leaders to prepare for this by-election and strive tirelessly to guarantee the party's success.'

The political landscape in Anta is expected to heat up in the coming weeks, with the by-election poised to be a closely monitored three-way contest.

Meanwhile, the BJP is in the concluding stages of discussions and is anticipated to announce its candidate shortly. Adding to the complexity, Naresh Meena has declared his intention to run as an Independent candidate, setting the scene for a potential triangular contest.

According to one of his supporters, he plans to file his nomination on October 14.

Within the BJP, several prominent figures are under consideration. To lead the party's campaign, MP Damodar Agarwal has been appointed as the election in-charge for Anta.

A core committee meeting is expected soon, during which the shortlisted candidates will be discussed. The committee will then submit its findings to the Central Election Committee, which will make the final decision regarding the candidate.