Key Highlights:

• BJP's Anamika Sharma won the Ajmer mayoral post with 43 votes, despite Congress holding more councillor seats overall.
• BJP's Namita Bubakia was elected mayor of Pali, relying on Independent support despite Congress being the largest group.
• Congress retained Bikaner, with Anil Kalla, nephew of former minister B.D. Kalla, elected mayor after Congress crossed the majority mark on its own.
• BJP also won mayoral posts in Udaipur (Paras Singhvi) and Alwar (Sumanlata Agarwal), while clashes and gunfire allegations were reported in Sri Ganganagar district.
• Congress retained the Anta municipal board for a fourth time by a single vote, while BJP and Congress split several smaller municipalities.

BJP Wins Key Mayoral Posts Despite Councillor Deficits

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured the mayoral posts in Ajmer and Pali despite the Congress winning more councillor seats in both municipal corporations. The Congress, however, retained Bikaner, where Anil Kalla was elected mayor, giving Rajasthan's latest round of civic polls a genuinely mixed outcome across its major municipal corporations.

Ajmer: A Mayoral Win Despite a Councillor Shortfall

In Ajmer, BJP's Anamika Sharma secured 43 votes and was elected mayor, despite the BJP having won only 32 of the 80 councillor seats. The Congress had emerged as the largest party with 37 seats, while 11 Independents also won seats. The majority mark stood at 41, meaning that cross-party or Independent support was necessary for either side to secure the mayoral post.

Pali: Independent Support Proves Decisive

In Pali, BJP's Namita Bubakia was elected mayor with 33 votes. The BJP had won 21 councillor seats, while Congress had emerged as the largest group with 29 seats. Congress candidate Sumitra Jain received just three votes. Pali had 15 Independent councillors, making their support particularly significant in determining the outcome of the mayoral contest.

A Clear Majority in Udaipur

The BJP also secured the mayoral post in Udaipur, where Paras Singhvi was elected. The BJP had won 53 of the 80 wards in Udaipur, giving it a clear and decisive majority in that corporation, unlike the closer contests seen in Ajmer and Pali.

A Decisive Win in Alwar

In Alwar, BJP's Sumanlata Agarwal defeated Congress candidate Kamlesh Sharma, securing 42 votes against Sharma's 23, marking one of the more comfortable BJP victories among this round of mayoral elections.

Congress Holds Bikaner

In Bikaner, Congress leader Anil Kalla, nephew of former minister B.D. Kalla, was elected mayor. The Congress had won 42 of the 80 wards in the corporation, crossing the majority mark on its own, making Bikaner one of the few corporations where a single party secured outright control without needing cross-party or Independent support.

A Narrow Family Contest in Atru

In Baran district's Atru municipality, Congress' Nisha Nainwal defeated Krishna Murari Dilawar, brother of Education Minister Madan Dilawar, by three votes, a result with added political significance given the Education Minister's family connection to the defeated candidate.

Tension and Unrest in Sri Ganganagar District

Tension was reported in Shri Vijaynagar municipality of Sri Ganganagar district ahead of the chairperson election. A clash broke out between Congress supporters and police, during which a police officer reportedly sustained a head injury, escalating what began as an electoral dispute into a more serious law-and-order concern.

A Heated Exchange Between Political and Police Officials

Congress leader Tika Ram Jully also had a heated exchange with Additional SP (Rural) Priyanka Raghuvanshi, after Congress councillors entered the barricaded area to cast their votes. Jully questioned how BJP chairperson candidate Puran Chand Meena had entered the area without police permission and challenged the police over the arrangement, going so far as to suggest that officials might as well wear the BJP's collar, a pointed accusation of political bias within the security arrangements.

Alleged Gunfire and Abduction Claims

Separately, reports emerged of alleged gunfire near a nursery on Bajuwala Road involving three councillors. Congress leaders alleged that Mangatram of Ward 20, Pyarelal of Ward 21 and Independent councillor Vijay Kumar of Ward 13 had been abducted. Families of the three councillors reached the Shri-Vijaynagar police station and submitted a complaint seeking registration of a case, while also staging a protest demanding immediate action.

Police Response to the Reports

Raisingh-Nagar DSP Hanuman Singh reached the police station after receiving information about the incident. Additional police personnel were deployed in view of the tense situation, and officials began collecting information. However, the allegations of gunfire and abduction had not been officially confirmed by police or the administration at the time of reporting, leaving the exact details of the incident still unclear.

A Single-Vote Victory in Anta

In Baran district's Anta municipality, Congress candidate Pradeep Nagar won the chairperson's post by a single vote, securing 18 votes against BJP candidate Dhanraj Chaurasia. The Congress and BJP had won 16 councillor seats each, while three Independents held the remaining seats. Two Independents supported the Congress and one voted for the BJP, ultimately determining the outcome. With this result, Congress retained control of the Anta municipal board for the fourth time.

Other Municipal Results

In Sikrai municipality, BJP's Kailash Bairwa defeated Congress candidate Kailash Baswal by one vote, with Sub-Divisional Returning Officer Manoj Verma administering the oath to Bairwa. In Churu Municipal Council, BJP's Vinay Goenka was elected chairperson with 34 votes, defeating Congress candidate Sanjay Bhati, who received 26 votes. In Mundawar municipality of Khairthal-Tijara district, BJP's Mahendra Gurjar defeated Congress candidate Manisha Bai Gurjar by nine votes to become chairperson.

Formalities in Bharatpur

In Bharatpur, BJP's Anuradha Singh arrived to take the oath as mayor, accompanied by several councillors, with the remaining councillors scheduled to take their oaths the following day.

Internal BJP Tensions in Udaipur

In Udaipur, City MLA Tarachand Jain stayed away from the voting process involving BJP councillors and remained at his office, around 100 metres from the municipal corporation premises. He reportedly kept track of developments through phone calls with supporters rather than attending in person. Jain had also maintained a distance during the filing of mayoral candidate Paras Singhvi's nomination. This distancing came amid reports of internal differences over the selection of the mayoral candidate, with Jain's preferred faction not prevailing in the selection process, suggesting some internal party friction beneath the BJP's overall electoral success in the city.

A Broader Pattern Across the State

The results in the major corporations have highlighted the importance of Independents and cross-support in closely divided corporations, with several mayoral outcomes hinging on the support of Independent councillors rather than being decided purely along party lines.

A Mixed Overall Picture

The BJP had secured clear ward-level majorities in Udaipur, Bhilwara and Kota, while Congress had a majority in Bikaner. Notably, Ajmer and Pali, where the Congress had emerged as the largest group in terms of councillor seats, subsequently saw BJP candidates win the mayoral elections, illustrating how the mayoral selection process in several corporations allowed the BJP to secure top leadership positions even in areas where it did not hold the largest number of councillor seats.

Key Highlights:

• BJP's Anamika Sharma won the Ajmer mayoral post with 43 votes, despite Congress holding more councillor seats overall.
• BJP's Namita Bubakia was elected mayor of Pali, relying on Independent support despite Congress being the largest group.
• Congress retained Bikaner, with Anil Kalla, nephew of former minister B.D. Kalla, elected mayor after Congress crossed the majority mark on its own.
• BJP also won mayoral posts in Udaipur (Paras Singhvi) and Alwar (Sumanlata Agarwal), while clashes and gunfire allegations were reported in Sri Ganganagar district.
• Congress retained the Anta municipal board for a fourth time by a single vote, while BJP and Congress split several smaller municipalities.

BJP Wins Key Mayoral Posts Despite Councillor Deficits

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured the mayoral posts in Ajmer and Pali despite the Congress winning more councillor seats in both municipal corporations. The Congress, however, retained Bikaner, where Anil Kalla was elected mayor, giving Rajasthan's latest round of civic polls a genuinely mixed outcome across its major municipal corporations.

Ajmer: A Mayoral Win Despite a Councillor Shortfall

In Ajmer, BJP's Anamika Sharma secured 43 votes and was elected mayor, despite the BJP having won only 32 of the 80 councillor seats. The Congress had emerged as the largest party with 37 seats, while 11 Independents also won seats. The majority mark stood at 41, meaning that cross-party or Independent support was necessary for either side to secure the mayoral post.

Pali: Independent Support Proves Decisive

In Pali, BJP's Namita Bubakia was elected mayor with 33 votes. The BJP had won 21 councillor seats, while Congress had emerged as the largest group with 29 seats. Congress candidate Sumitra Jain received just three votes. Pali had 15 Independent councillors, making their support particularly significant in determining the outcome of the mayoral contest.

A Clear Majority in Udaipur

The BJP also secured the mayoral post in Udaipur, where Paras Singhvi was elected. The BJP had won 53 of the 80 wards in Udaipur, giving it a clear and decisive majority in that corporation, unlike the closer contests seen in Ajmer and Pali.

A Decisive Win in Alwar

In Alwar, BJP's Sumanlata Agarwal defeated Congress candidate Kamlesh Sharma, securing 42 votes against Sharma's 23, marking one of the more comfortable BJP victories among this round of mayoral elections.

Congress Holds Bikaner

In Bikaner, Congress leader Anil Kalla, nephew of former minister B.D. Kalla, was elected mayor. The Congress had won 42 of the 80 wards in the corporation, crossing the majority mark on its own, making Bikaner one of the few corporations where a single party secured outright control without needing cross-party or Independent support.

A Narrow Family Contest in Atru

In Baran district's Atru municipality, Congress' Nisha Nainwal defeated Krishna Murari Dilawar, brother of Education Minister Madan Dilawar, by three votes, a result with added political significance given the Education Minister's family connection to the defeated candidate.

Tension and Unrest in Sri Ganganagar District

Tension was reported in Shri Vijaynagar municipality of Sri Ganganagar district ahead of the chairperson election. A clash broke out between Congress supporters and police, during which a police officer reportedly sustained a head injury, escalating what began as an electoral dispute into a more serious law-and-order concern.

A Heated Exchange Between Political and Police Officials

Congress leader Tika Ram Jully also had a heated exchange with Additional SP (Rural) Priyanka Raghuvanshi, after Congress councillors entered the barricaded area to cast their votes. Jully questioned how BJP chairperson candidate Puran Chand Meena had entered the area without police permission and challenged the police over the arrangement, going so far as to suggest that officials might as well wear the BJP's collar, a pointed accusation of political bias within the security arrangements.

Alleged Gunfire and Abduction Claims

Separately, reports emerged of alleged gunfire near a nursery on Bajuwala Road involving three councillors. Congress leaders alleged that Mangatram of Ward 20, Pyarelal of Ward 21 and Independent councillor Vijay Kumar of Ward 13 had been abducted. Families of the three councillors reached the Shri-Vijaynagar police station and submitted a complaint seeking registration of a case, while also staging a protest demanding immediate action.

Police Response to the Reports

Raisingh-Nagar DSP Hanuman Singh reached the police station after receiving information about the incident. Additional police personnel were deployed in view of the tense situation, and officials began collecting information. However, the allegations of gunfire and abduction had not been officially confirmed by police or the administration at the time of reporting, leaving the exact details of the incident still unclear.

A Single-Vote Victory in Anta

In Baran district's Anta municipality, Congress candidate Pradeep Nagar won the chairperson's post by a single vote, securing 18 votes against BJP candidate Dhanraj Chaurasia. The Congress and BJP had won 16 councillor seats each, while three Independents held the remaining seats. Two Independents supported the Congress and one voted for the BJP, ultimately determining the outcome. With this result, Congress retained control of the Anta municipal board for the fourth time.

Other Municipal Results

In Sikrai municipality, BJP's Kailash Bairwa defeated Congress candidate Kailash Baswal by one vote, with Sub-Divisional Returning Officer Manoj Verma administering the oath to Bairwa. In Churu Municipal Council, BJP's Vinay Goenka was elected chairperson with 34 votes, defeating Congress candidate Sanjay Bhati, who received 26 votes. In Mundawar municipality of Khairthal-Tijara district, BJP's Mahendra Gurjar defeated Congress candidate Manisha Bai Gurjar by nine votes to become chairperson.

Formalities in Bharatpur

In Bharatpur, BJP's Anuradha Singh arrived to take the oath as mayor, accompanied by several councillors, with the remaining councillors scheduled to take their oaths the following day.

Internal BJP Tensions in Udaipur

In Udaipur, City MLA Tarachand Jain stayed away from the voting process involving BJP councillors and remained at his office, around 100 metres from the municipal corporation premises. He reportedly kept track of developments through phone calls with supporters rather than attending in person. Jain had also maintained a distance during the filing of mayoral candidate Paras Singhvi's nomination. This distancing came amid reports of internal differences over the selection of the mayoral candidate, with Jain's preferred faction not prevailing in the selection process, suggesting some internal party friction beneath the BJP's overall electoral success in the city.

A Broader Pattern Across the State

The results in the major corporations have highlighted the importance of Independents and cross-support in closely divided corporations, with several mayoral outcomes hinging on the support of Independent councillors rather than being decided purely along party lines.

A Mixed Overall Picture

The BJP had secured clear ward-level majorities in Udaipur, Bhilwara and Kota, while Congress had a majority in Bikaner. Notably, Ajmer and Pali, where the Congress had emerged as the largest group in terms of councillor seats, subsequently saw BJP candidates win the mayoral elections, illustrating how the mayoral selection process in several corporations allowed the BJP to secure top leadership positions even in areas where it did not hold the largest number of councillor seats.