Rajasthan bypolls: Congress leading in Ajmer, Alwar seats

The Congress was leading in Ajmer and Alwar parliamentary seats while the BJP was leading in Mandalgarh Assembly seat, according to initial trends in the counting of votes for the bypolls.

The counting began at 8 am today amid tight security.

Sources at the State Election Department said in Alwar, Congress' Karan Singh Yadav was leading by 61,500 votes over BJP's Jaswant Yadav.

In Ajmer, Congress's Raghu Sharma was ahead of BJP's Ram Swaroop Lamba by 3,398 votes, they said.In Mandalgarh, BJP candidate Shakti Singh Hada was ahead of independent candidate Gopal Malviya by over 3,000



votes.

Congress' Vivek Dhakad was trailing, they said.

Chief Election Officer Ashwani Bhagat said the results would be declared before noon.

There was enthusiasm at party offices of both the BJP and the Congress as they were upbeat about the initial trends.

A total of 42 candidates were in the fray for the bypolls to the three seats, the election to which was held on Monday.The bye-elections on the seats were necessitated after sudden deaths of BJP MP from Ajmer Sanwarlal Jat, MP from Alwar Mahant Chand Nath Yogi and Mandalgarh MLA Kirti Kumari.