Rajiv Pratap Rudy has renewed his 25-year stint as Constitution Club chairman by beating BJP MP Sanjeev Balyan in a high-profile contest that saw senior political leaders, such as BJP boss Amit Shah and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, join in.
Celebrating past midnight with his supporters, Rudy told ANI, “I may have won by more than 100 votes. And if that is multiplied by 1,000 voters, then the number goes up to 1 lakh. This is my panel’s victory. Everyone rose from their party and cast their vote. My panel had people from the Congress, SP, TMC, and independent MPs. I got the result of my efforts in the last two decades.”
He further said, "It's a beautiful win for all the parliamentarians and all those who have come to vote and support the tireless efforts of the team for past two decades. It's a beautiful experience."
Typically a low-profile event, the election received national notice this year when Balyan joined the race with open support from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey. The race featured voting by big-ticket names like Union Ministers JP Nadda, Piyush Goyal, and Kiren Rijiju, and Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla.
Observers said that although Balyan's campaign was picking up momentum, Dubey's hardline anti-Congress pitch seemed to draw in numerous opposition MPs, putting Rudy at a strategic upper hand. The Saran MP also had rock-solid support in BJP ranks.
A total of 1,295 eligible MPs, 679 voted in person and 38 through postal ballots, making the turnout over 60%.
Whereas when Congress leader Sonia ji and along with her Kharge saheb arrived and from our party Amit Shah ji and Nadda saheb, the essence of real democracy was witnessed during the elections of Constitution Club," Rudy said.
Balyan said, "People learned for the first time about an institution known as the Constitution Club, a group of MPs and retired MPs with dignity and history. The nation is aware of its existence now, and I hope MPs will participate more enthusiastically."
Rudy, who already defeated Rabri Devi and Rohini Acharya in Saran, cited his work in improving the Club's infrastructure and stature as a major reason for his re-election. Balyan, who boasts of his grassroots connect, championed reform, calling upon the Club to give more importance to MPs and former MPs instead of "outsiders" like IAS and IPS officers.
Further, Congress's AP Jithender Reddy and Rajiv Shukla, and DMK's Tiruchi Siva, were elected unopposed to the important positions. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha remains the ex-officio president of the Club.
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