New Delhi: Ahmed Patel, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's political secretary, has emerged victorious in a bitterly-fought battle for a prestigious RajyabSabha seat, defeating BJP in a high-stakes contest.

The victory for Ahmed came after the Election Commission rejected the votes of two Congress MLAs who voted for BJP.

Later at night, the returning officer announced the final numbers in the polls according to which Ahmed Patel secured 44bvotes, BJP's Amit Shah got 46, Smriti Irani, too got 46, and Balwantsinh Rajput, the Congress rebel fighting on BJP ticket got 38 votes.

Celebrations broke out in Ahmedabad once party managers declared that Patel had got 44 votes — just enough for him to save the battle from going into the second preference round where BJP would have had a clear advantage because of the sheer numbers it has in the electoral college.

Going by Congress's calculation, Patel could have pulled it off with the support of 43 party MLAs and Jayant Patel, one of the two NCP MLAs in the House. Congress's claim of support from BJP rebel Nithinbhai Kathodia and lone JD(U) member Chhotubhai Vasava were disputed by BJP sources who did not rule out the possibility of NCP's Patel going along with Congress. 

BJP's determination to snatch a seat which Congress, ordinarily speaking, was set to win and Congress's resolve to hold on to it turned it into perhaps the most suspenseful contest for a Rajya Sabha seat.

The relief for Congress marks a setback for BJP, particularly party chief Amit Shah who scripted the audacious run on Congress's vote bank, as well as for Congress rebel Shankersinh Vaghela who teamed up with the saffron party to put the contest on knife's edge. It was Vaghela's man Balwantsinh Rajput who was Patel's challenger. Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani scored easy victories.