Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Sept 14: The outcome of the urban local body elections in Rajasthan has given an edge to the ruling BJP but not an overwhelming mandate with the Congress, and in many seats the independents, closely following the saffron party.
Though the Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Monday thanked the people of the state for what he described as a “historic and magnificent victory” for the BJP in the in the municipal body elections, the party’s performance in his home town of Bharatpur and the state BJP chief Madan Rathore’s home town of Pali was far from desired.
Bharatpur threw up an anomalous picture as Independents won or led in 36 of its 65 wards, compared to the BJP’s 20 and Congress’s seven. The BSP and RLP won one each. In the 65-ward Pali Nagar Nigam, Congress won 29, while BJP won 21 and Independents won 15.
Independents put up a strong performance across the state, winning 2,024 wards, emerging as a potentially decisive force in several Urban Bodies.
The polls cover 10 municipal corporations, 51 municipal councils and 248 municipalities, Of the 10,244 seats for which counting was held, the BJP has won 4,166 seats, compared with 3,595 for the Congress — a margin of 571 seats. Independents have won 2,024, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) 56, CPI(M) 37, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 15, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 10 and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) eight.
The BJP has so far secured an outright majority in 85 civic bodies and emerged as the single-largest party in another 60, giving it the lead in 145 of the 309 Urban Local Bodies. The Congress has won a majority in 46 bodies and emerged as the largest party in another 54, putting it ahead in 100 ULBs.
Vote counting for 10,245 councillor posts across 309 urban local bodies in Rajasthan began on Monday. The elections were held in two phases on September 9 and 11, with 76.42% turnout in the first phase and 70.68% in the second. The BJP and Congress are closely watched in the civic polls ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections. The polls cover 10 municipal corporations, 51 municipal councils and 248 municipalities, with more than 1.44 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots.
The BJP secured a clear majority in the 80-member Udaipur Municipal Corporation by winning 53 wards, in the 70-member Bhilwara by winning 45 wards, and in the 100-member Kota by winning 53 wards. The Congress emerged victorious in Bikaner and was leading in Ajmer and Pali, whereas the BJP edged past it in Jaipur and Alwar. Jodhpur witnessed a tough fight between the BJP and Congress where both parties secured 44 wards each apart from 10 Independents.
In Ajmer, of its 80 wards, Congress won 37, BJP 32, and Independents 11. Independents put up a strong performance across the state, winning 2,024 wards, emerging as a potentially decisive force in several Urban Bodies.
The biggest upset was witnessed in Jhalawar, considered a stronghold of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. In the Jhalawar Nagar Parishad, Congress secured a clear majority by winning 29 of the 45 seats, while the BJP was limited to 13 seats. The result puts Congress in a position to form the board in an area long regarded as a BJP stronghold.
Congress also registered a major victory in Tonk, the Assembly constituency of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot. Polling was held on 59 of the 60 seats in the Tonk Nagar Parishad, with Congress winning 32 seats, the BJP 19 and Independents eight. Congress not only outperformed the BJP in Pilot’s constituency but also secured a clear majority to form the board.
In the Kota Municipal Corporation, the BJP has gained a clear majority, having won 55 seats. Congress has secured 39 seats, while other candidates have won four seats. Results for 98 of the 100 wards have been declared so far.
Independents have emerged as the single-largest bloc in nine Rajasthan Nagar Parishads — Behror, Deeg, Fatehpur, Hanumangarh, Hindaun, Kotputli, Makrana, Nagaur and Tijara.
In the Bhilwara Municipal Corporation, the BJP has secured a clear majority, winning 45 of the 70 wards. Independents finished second with 15 seats, while Congress won 10 wards. The BJP is also leading in the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, winning 69 of the 130 wards where results have been declared so far. Congress has secured 50 seats, while Independents have won 11 wards. With results pending in 20 of the 150 wards, the BJP has already crossed the majority mark in Jaipur.