Congress Makes a Comeback in Vasundhara Raje's Rajasthan Too

New Delhi: It will make no dent in the BJP's massive majority in Rajasthan, but the Congress' win in three of four assembly seats in by-elections in the state is cause for pause for the ruling party. (Track Live Updates)

All four seats were held by BJP legislators who became MPs in May this year. The party has managed to retain just one - the Kota South seat. The Congress has won Surajgarh, Weir and Nasirabad.

This is the first good news to come out of Rajasthan for the Congress in almost a year since it lost the state it ruled for a decade to the BJP led by Vasundhara Raje, now chief minister.

The victory is a big fillip for the Congress' new in-charge in the state, Sachin Pilot, who has been assiduously rebuilding party cadres in the state since his party's debacle in the national elections. (By-Poll Results: Setback for BJP in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan)

"Everyone said the Congress will not perform, but I congratulate the party workers," Mr Pilot said after the results were declared. "The kind of arrogance... the BJP government has been in Rajasthan... The BJP should take a lesson from these elections and introspect. The government will have to watch where it steps."

The BJP had won an unprecedented 162 seats to get an absolute majority in the state elections and followed it up with a 25-0 rout of the Congress in the general elections four months ago. Vasundhara Raje sealed her reputation a match winner. 

The loss of Surajgarh will be particularly painful for Ms Raje; she had handpicked former health minister Digambar Singh to contest that seat.