NEW DELHI: In a tense contest between two BJP colleagues, former Union minister and Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy seemed to have gained an unassailable lead over another ex-Union minister Sanjeev Balyan in the polls for the post of secretary (administration) at Constitution Club of India. Rudy was steadily widening his margin when reports last came in late on Tuesday. What was once a low-profile election acquired exciting dimensions this year, drawing prominent netas from various parties to cast their votes, thanks to Baliyan being in the fray with open support of another prominent BJP face, Nishikant Dubey.The Saran MP, of course, held on to his core support base among BJP colleagues.

Union ministers Amit Shah, J P Nadda, Piyush Goyal and Kiren Rijiju from BJP, along with Congress’s Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, voted in the keenly contested election. Himachal Pradesh governor Shiv Pratap Shukla also turned up to cast his vote as the candidates lobbied intensively to rally supporters. Balyan’s campaign had appeared to be growing in strength but a vigorous pitch for him by Dubey, a vocal critic of the Congress leadership led many from the opposition benches to develop an interest in the outcome of what had started as a BJP versus BJP affair. Rudy may have benefited from the twist, noted a keen watcher. Of the 1,295 current and former MPs eligible to vote, 679 cast their ballots in person, with an additional 38 postal ballots, totalling 707 votes – over 60% turnout.With a decisive lead, Rudy reacted by saying, “When Congress leader Sonia ji arrived along with Kharge saheb, and from our party Amit Shah ji and Nadda saheb came, the true spirit of democracy was seen in the Constitution Club elections.” “For the first time, people learned about an institution called the Constitution Club, a body of MPs and former MPs with history and dignity,” Balyan said. “The country now knows of its existence, and I hope MPs will engage more actively,” he said. Rudy, blends urbanity with political savvy, having defeated opponents like Rabri Devi and Rohini Acharya in Saran in Lok Sabha elections. Balyan, from Uttar Pradesh, embodies rural grit and warmth, with strong ties within and beyond BJP. Congress’s AP Jithender Reddy and Rajiv Shukla and DMK’s Tiruchi Siva had been elected unopposed as treasurer, secretary (sports) and secretary (culture), respectively.