BJP Sweeps Rajasthan Civic Polls, Wins Nine of Ten Mayoral Seats
BJP won mayoral posts in nine of Rajasthan's 10 municipal corporations, with Congress taking only Bikaner, as cross-voting and rebellion hit both parties.
The BJP has emerged dominant in Rajasthan's municipal elections, securing the mayor's post in nine of the state's 10 municipal corporations. The Congress managed to claim only one mayoral seat, in Bikaner. The picture became clear after mayoral elections concluded in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota.
Across all local bodies, including municipal councils and municipalities, the BJP has formed boards in 204 bodies, while the Congress has done so in 96.
Once councillor election results were declared, both parties moved quickly to stitch together boards. A fierce contest followed the September 14 results, with both sides sequestering their councillors to guard against poaching. Allegations of councillor abductions and horse-trading surfaced in several areas.
Fears of internal sabotage and cross-voting proved well-founded, reshaping the arithmetic in several local bodies and costing both parties.
In the Kota Municipal Corporation, the Congress had 39 councillors but polled only 35 votes, prompting the party to boycott the subsequent deputy mayor election.
In Pali, the Congress won 29 of 65 wards but still lost the mayor's post. Its candidate, Sumitra Jain, received just three votes, while rebel candidate Rajbala Hingad secured 29. The BJP's Namita Bubakia won with 33 votes.
Perhaps the starkest example came in Mundwa, Nagaur district, where the BJP fielded Geeta Devi for chairperson. Despite holding 10 elected councillors in the 25-ward municipality, she received no votes at all. The BJP had won 10 wards there, the Congress three, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party seven and independents five.
Overall, the BJP improved on its previous civic poll performance, with Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma campaigning through roadshows and the party contesting with detailed organisational planning.
BJP leader Nitin Nabin, who visited Jaipur on Friday, met party leaders and cautioned them against arrogance. He said that if a candidate recommended by an MP or MLA later turns against the party, the leader who recommended them will bear responsibility.
The Congress, by contrast, has shown little introspection. Factionalism and public bickering persist, leaving little room for self-reflection. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took a veiled dig at state Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, suggesting results might have differed had the party also held roadshows. He also said the party must examine why votes went to independent candidates instead of its own nominees.
Factional tensions, including the long-running Pilot-Gehlot differences and reported strains between Gehlot and Dotasra, added to the party's challenges during the civic polls.
The BJP has now turned its attention to the Panchayati Raj elections, with Nabin issuing instructions to party leaders. The Congress remains caught in mutual accusations. The lessons both parties draw from the civic polls could prove crucial for the next electoral battle.