Rajiv Pratap Rudy Retains Constitution Club Post After High-Voltage BJP vs BJP Battle

Incumbent Rajiv Pratap Rudy has clinched yet another term as secretary (administration) of the Constitution Club of India, defeating fellow BJP leader Sanjeev Balyan in one of the most fiercely fought elections in the club's history. The August 12 contest, which is just the fourth such election ever held, turned what is normally a low-key affair into a high-stakes political drama, complete with factional tussles, contrasting campaign styles, and heavyweight voters from across party lines.

Mr Rudy, a six-time MP and a former Union minister who handled portfolios ranging from Civil Aviation to Skill Development, is also a licensed commercial pilot and is credited with transforming the Constitution Club's infrastructure during his 25-year tenure. His challenger, Sanjeev Balyan, is a former MP from Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh and a former minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources, known for his Jat community base and his earthy, grassroots political style.

कांस्टीट्यूशन क्लब ऑफ़ इंडिया में गवर्निंग काउंसिल की जीत के पश्चात भव्य स्वागत का आयोजन किया गया। धन्यवाद।#ConstitutionalClub #rajivprataprudy @ccoi_1947 pic.twitter.com/yTvm1BLOYB

— Rajiv Pratap Rudy (@RajivPratapRudy) August 13, 2025

Mr Rudy secured 354 in-person votes and 38 postal ballots. Multiple reports put the victory margin between 64 and 100 votes. Mr Balyan mounted a spirited challenge, drawing open backing from BJP colleagues like Nishikant Dubey, while Mr Rudy enjoyed the support of several Opposition MPs. Caste became a factor as community biases were also openly playing out.

Tuesday witnessed interesting scenes as former MPs mobilised by both contenders reached the club from different parts of the country. Most BJP ministers, and allies Shiv Sena and TDP, mobilised their support for Mr Balyan, while Mr Rudy relied on his trusted base. A keen watcher of the elections explained that it had become an anti-Rudy election, with his opposing faction challenging the way the club was being run. He explained that the entry of bureaucrats into the club has taken away the exclusivity of MPs over it, with many, particularly women, staying away from club facilities.

But Mr Rudy's supporters had an answer to that. "For years, he has helmed the club, even when the BJP wasn't in power, accommodating Sangh events, party and the Opposition here. He knows how to run a Delhi MPs' club."

The Constitution Club, founded in 1947 as a space for members of the Constituent Assembly and formally inaugurated in 1965, has grown into one of Lutyens' Delhi's most exclusive addresses - part social club, part political salon. Its governing council is headed by the Lok Sabha Speaker, with posts like Secretary (Administration) exercising significant influence over events, facilities, and member engagement. Mr Rudy's long tenure has seen the club transformed from a run-down relic into a plush hub with a spa, swimming pool, restaurants, and modern event spaces.

The poll drew 707 of 1,295 eligible voters, one of the highest turnouts in the club's history. The voter list read like the who's who of Indian politics: Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge turned up. Twenty-six rounds of counting were held, and the campaign in the run-up was marked by intense lobbying, late-night calls, and careful caste coalition-building - Mr Rudy drew strong Rajput support and Mr Balyan consolidated Jat and rural MPs.

Mr Balyan campaigned on a promise to restore what he called the club's "lost glory" and accused Mr Rudy of turning it into a "commercial place". Mr Rudy countered with his record of expansion and revitalisation. The result, Mr Rudy's comfortable if contested win, underscored both his entrenched influence and the BJP's internal fault lines were laid bare in the keenly watched race.

This contest also marked a rare occasion where intra-party competition eclipsed opposition rivalry, with both camps mobilising extensive backroom operations and external allies. While Mr Rudy's victory consolidates his networking in Parliament, Mr Balyan's challenge is seen as a signal that long-held positions are no longer immune to internal tests. The campaign styles, Mr Rudy's polished persuasion and Mr Balyan's in-person mobilisation, offered a sharp contrast in political methods within the same party fold.

In the aftermath, members say the race has left a lingering buzz in the club's corridors, where conversations now mix speculation about future leadership changes with post-mortems of campaign tactics. For Mr Rudy, the focus returns to managing an institution that serves as both a retreat and a networking ground for India's lawmakers; for Mr Balyan, the loss could yet translate into greater visibility and leverage in the BJP's internal power play. Either way, the Constitution Club, usually a backdrop to politics, was, for one week, the very stage on which it was performed. Like an observer remarked, "This election is just the start. It shows no one is immune and that such battles can become regular in the future as far as the club is concerned."