Jaipur, Nov. 16 -- Congress has wrested the Anta Assembly seat from the ruling BJP, exposing sharp cracks within the ruling party's local leadership. Despite being in power, the BJP failed to mount a cohesive campaign, while a united Congress transformed its previous defeat into a decisive victory. On one side, the Congress appeared united. Senior leaders Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot - often seen at odds - joined forces and campaigned aggressively. Congress candidate Pramod Jain Bhaya, who had lost the 2023 Assembly election by 5,861 votes, won this time by a margin nearly three times larger. In contrast, the BJP's unity appeared largely superficial. Senior local leaders such as Cabinet ministers Heeralal Nagar and Madan Dilawar were kept away from the campaign. Even when attempting to woo Meena voters, the party invited veteran leader Kirodi Lal Meena only once or twice, and his presence remained largely symbolic. Political analyst Manish Godha believes that the BJP's biggest strategic blunder came in the form of ignoring Independent candidate Naresh Meena. Angered by the Congress, Naresh Meena contested independently - initially expected to dent Congress votes. The Congress remained alert, but the BJP dismissed the threat. However, Naresh Meena, supported by RLP's Hanuman Beniwal and Rajendra Singh Gudha, mobilized caste equations and anti-BJP votes, hurting the BJP's prospects deeply. His rallies drew significant crowds, yet the BJP leadership failed to recognize the shifting ground. Despite Meena voters being considered a reliable BJP base, Kirodi Lal Meena's involvement remained limited to a bare-minimum formality. Godha believed that had he actively campaigned, the outcome could have been different. Some even suggest that Kirodi Lal Meena sensed the "political wind" and deliberately stayed low-key. "We failed to assess the possible dent Naresh Meena could cause. Had we been prepared, the results would have been different," said a senior BJP leader familiar with the development. He added other factors could be delay in announcement of candidate, and campaign management. Another senior leader, who was camped throughout the poll campaign, said on condition of anonymity, "Our poll management failed. Apart from Mali and Kumawat, we didn't get much support. Another factor was that some cabinet ministers should have been used in the campaign, but for some reasons they were not on the ground." Congress candidate Pramod Jain Bhaya on Friday won with a significant margin of 15,612 votes after 20 rounds of counting. Ruling BJP's candidate Morpal Suman was his nearest rival, securing 53,959 votes, while independent candidate Naresh Meena got 53,800 votes. Behind the scenes, the BJP struggled over ticket allocation. The delay in announcing the candidate drew criticism. Senior party leaders admit that Morpal Suman was not the first choice. People in the know reveal that former chief minister Vasundhara Raje initially pushed for the wife of former MLA Kanwarlal Meena, but allegations of nepotism shut down the proposal. Later, she backed ex-MLA Prabhulal Saini, but internal consensus could not be achieved. Eventually, local leader Morpal Suman was chosen. Once the decision was made, Raje and her son, MP Dushyant Singh (appointed poll in-charge), campaigned hard. But as the campaign progressed, the narrative shifted - this election became less about Morpal Suman and more about Raje's prestige. Even chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma campaigned with her joint roadshows. But the public response did not translate into votes. Godha said despite all major leaders coming from the same district, the BJP sidelined heavyweights like Heeralal Nagar, Madan Dilawar, and seven-time MLA Pratap Singh Singhvi. This resentment wasn't limited to BJP cadres - villagers across Anta discussed it openly. Although it was just a bypoll, the Congress treated it like a full-scale election. State in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa campaigned across villages - a rarity for a single-seat election. Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully and PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasara also ran an aggressive campaign. Meanwhile, the BJP lacked an equally energetic counter-campaign. Despite knowing a bypoll was imminent after Kanwarlal Meena's conviction, the BJP government failed to address local issues. Residents say that basic problems-roads, schools, electricity, bus stands-remained unresolved. Godha believed that had the government invested in development during the run-up to the bypoll, voter sentiment could have shifted. The BJP failed to gauge public mood. Factionalism, misreading caste dynamics, sidelining local leaders, and weak development outreach converged to deliver a stinging defeat, he said....