NEW DELHI: Former Union Minister and current Saran MP, Rajiv Pratap Rudy has retained his position as General Secretary (Administration) of the Constitution Club of India (CCI), defeating fellow BJP leader and former minister Sanjeev Kumar Balyan by a margin of over 100 votes.
The closely watched contest had two BJP heavyweights vying for the post, creating visible fault lines within the party.
While Balyan, a former Muzaffarnagar MP, enjoyed cross-party support and backing from top leadership, Rudy garnered strong support from a faction within the BJP, with caste and regional dynamics playing a major role.
With the two leaders slugging it out for the key position, the contest was termed as a "BJP vs BJP" battle. Many BJP leaders, including Lok Sabha MP Nishikant Dubey, were actively seen campaigning for Balyan.
According to the buzz, Rudy had an edge, as he was supported by most of the Opposition and a section of the BJP. Rudy's re-election affirms his entrenched position within the CCI and reflects his sustained influence, aided by his long-standing role in the governing council.
The voting took place on Tuesday, and the results were announced in the wee hours of Wednesday, around 2 am, after 25 rounds of counting. Rudy secured 354 votes while Balyan received 290 votes. Rudy also got 38 postal ballots, bringing his total to 392, winning the contest with a total margin of 102 votes.
"This is my panel's victory... Everyone rose from their party and cast vote. My panel had people from the Congress, SP, TMC and independent MPs. I got the result of my efforts in the last two decades," Rudy said after the results were announced. Rudy has been holding the post of secretary (administration) for the last 25 years.
He, also a seasoned parliamentarian, is a trained commercial pilot as well and has been elected unopposed. As the contest had turned into a high-stakes, tightly fought battle, several former MPs were camping in the city to campaign for their respective candidate.
Prominent leaders of different parties, including Union ministers Shah and J P Nadda of the BJP and Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress, voted on Tuesday.
The Club, located on Rafi Marg, just a few hundred metres away from Parliament House, was opened in February 1947 with the objectives and purposes of fostering social contacts and providing usual amenities for the benefit of the MPs.
It has emerged as an enviable forum providing a platform for interaction amongst the incumbent and present parliamentarians.0.
The Club is headed by Lok Sabha Speaker as the ex-officio President, the Deputy Speaker as General Secretary, and a Union Minister and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chair among the Vice-Presidents. It has over 1,200 members.
Rajya Sabha MPs Tiruchi Siva and Rajiv Shukla had already been unanimously elected as secretary (culture) and secretary (sports). Telangana’s A P Jithender Reddy was also elected as treasurer of the Club. A two-time member of Parliament from the Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha constituency, Reddy currently serves as the Special Representative of the Telangana government in New Delhi and also advises the State government on sports affairs.
Two nominations were received for each post, however, others withdrew their nominations, leading to the election of three MPs unopposed. The voting also necessitated the posts of 11 members of the Committee as 14 nominations were filed.