Constitutional Club election: Rajiv Pratap Rudy wins tight BJP vs BJP contest; heavyweights like Amit Shah, Sonia Gandhi vote

NEW DELHI: Rajiv Pratap Rudy extended his 25-year leadership of the Constitution Club, defeating fellow BJP MP Sanjeev Balyan in a closely watched election that saw participation from top political figures, including BJP's Amit Shah and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Celebrating past midnight with supporters, Rudy said to news agency ANI "I may have won by more than 100 votes. And if that is multiplied by 1000 voters, then the number goes upto 1 lakh. This is my panel's victory. Everyone rose from their party and cast their 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."



"It's a beautiful victory for all the parliamentarians and all those who came to vote and endorse the relentless effort of the team for last two decades... It's a beautiful experience," Rudy said.

What had traditionally been a low-key election turned high-profile this year, with Balyan entering the race and receiving visible backing from BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.

The contest drew votes from prominent leaders like Union Ministers JP Nadda, Piyush Goyal, and Kiren Rijiju, alongside Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla.

Though Balyan’s campaign gained momentum, Dubey’s strong anti-Congress stance reportedly piqued the interest of many opposition members—possibly giving Rudy an edge, observers noted. The Saran MP retained solid support within BJP ranks.

Out of 1,295 eligible MPs, 679 voted in person and 38 via postal ballots, with total turnout crossing 60%.

“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,” Rudy said.

“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, adding, “The country now knows of its existence, and I hope MPs will engage more actively.”

Rudy, who has previously defeated Rabri Devi and Rohini Acharya in Saran, cited his contributions in upgrading the Club’s infrastructure and status to justify his re-election. Balyan, known for his grassroots connect, had pitched reform—urging the Club to focus on serving MPs and ex-MPs rather than “outsiders” such as IAS and IPS officers.

Congress’s AP Jithender Reddy and Rajiv Shukla, along with DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, were elected unopposed to key posts. The Lok Sabha Speaker continues as the ex-officio president of the Club.

(With agency inputs)