Jaipur, October 21 (Udaipur Kiran): The Anta Assembly constituency in Rajasthan’s Baran district is heading for a by-election on November 11, and the political contest is shaping up to be intense. As the nomination deadline closed on Tuesday, a total of 21 candidates submitted their nomination papers, filing 32 forms in total.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress remain the main contenders, several independent candidates have also entered the fray, making the electoral battle more competitive.

The BJP has fielded its grassroots leader and current Baran district head Morpal Suman, while the Congress has once again chosen senior leader and former minister Pramod Jain Bhaya as its candidate. Adding to the intrigue, Naresh Meena, a young leader formerly associated with the Congress, has filed his nomination as an independent candidate.

In a last-minute move, Ramphal Meghwal, former BJP MLA from Baran-Atru, also submitted his nomination, further intensifying the competition. Traditionally, Anta has witnessed a direct contest between the BJP and Congress, but this time, rebels and independents are expected to disrupt the traditional vote equation.

Political observers suggest that Naresh Meena could influence the youth and Meena community vote, while Ramphal Meghwal, representing the SC community, might dent the BJP’s core vote base. Both major parties may now have to recalibrate their strategies.

The scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on October 23, following which the list of valid candidates will be released. Candidates will have the opportunity to withdraw their nominations until October 27. After that, the final list of contestants will be confirmed, setting the stage for the November 11 polling. Votes will be counted on November 14.

According to official data, the Anta constituency has 2,27,563 registered voters, including 1,16,405 male, 1,11,154 female, and 4 third-gender voters. A total of 268 polling booths have been set up across the constituency.