2023 Rajasthan Polls: BJP's Rajendra Rathore Loses Taranagar Seat

Rajasthan Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore lost the Taranagar seat to Congress candidate Narendra Budania, and this is a big blow for the BJP amid their incredible victory in the state. In the Taranagar seat, Narendra Budania got 1,08,236 votes. However, the senior BJP leader was able to get only 97,891 votes, and the majority of Narendra Budania is 10,345 votes. Narendra Budania maintained a proper lead in Taranagar from the beginning.

Notably, Taranagar is the sitting seat of Congress, and in the 2018 Assembly Elections, Narendra Budania was voted to power, achieving 31.95 percent of the votes. As the BJP aimed for a victory in the Rajasthan Assembly election, Rajendra Rathore played a vital role in the party”s election strategies. However, strategies have not worked in Taranagar. It is worth mentioning that Rajendra Rathore, who is not seen as belonging to any power faction within the BJP, was also earlier projected as a CM contender in the state.

Rajendra Rathore, a seven-time MLA, held different positions, like state minister and deputy state president of the BJP. In 2013, Rajendra Rathore joined the Rajasthan cabinet as PWD minister and served in the post till 2008. The senior leader also served as cabinet minister for rural development and Panchayati Raj from 2016 to 2018.