In a major setback to the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (September 21) secured the mayor's post in the Pali Municipal Corporation in Rajasthan after receiving the additional support of 12 councillors. In the mayoral election, BJP candidate Namita Bubakiya received the support of 33 councillors, while 29 voted for independent Rajbala Higad, who lost by a narrow margin of just 4 votes.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate Sumitra Jain suffered a huge embarrassment, as despite having 29 elected ward councillors and being the single-largest party in the corporation, the party secured only 3 votes in the final mayoral ballot due to cross-voting. The support of the additional councillors proved crucial for the BJP in securing the mayor's post.
A majority in the Pali Municipal Corporation required the support of 33 councillors. With a significant number of councillors extending their support to the BJP, Congress, despite being the largest party in the corporation, lost power in the mayoral election.
Pali Municipal Corporation Election Results
The results of the 65 wards of the Pali Municipal Corporation elections were announced by the Election Commission on September 14. Congress emerged as the largest party with 29 seats, while the BJP won 21 wards. However, the independent candidates have bagged 15 seats, making the overall electoral equation interesting.
With no party securing a majority in the 65-member civic body, the support of independent councillors had become crucial in determining the leadership of the corporation. This is why, even after winning the elections, holding power for Congress seemed unlikely.
BJP's Paras Singhvi elected Udaipur Mayor
BJP's Paras Singhvi was elected Mayor of the Udaipur Municipal Corporation on Monday, according to the District Election Department. Singhvi secured 55 votes, while the Congress candidate received 25 votes. Two independent councillors also voted in support of the BJP.
Results for the Udaipur Municipal Corporation Elections in Rajasthan were declared on September 14, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing a clear majority in the Udaipur Municipal Corporation. The BJP has won 53 of the 80 wards, while the Congress managed to bag 23 seats.
It is pertinent to mention that the BJP has maintained a dominant position in Udaipur's civic politics for around three decades. The elections were seen as a major test for the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls.
Rajasthan urban local body election results
The ruling BJP emerged ahead of the Congress in Rajasthan’s urban local body elections on Monday, winning 4,179 wards against the opposition party’s 3,613 and securing clear majorities in four of the state’s 10 municipal corporations. The Congress secured a majority in Bikaner Municipal Corporation and scored a major victory in Jhalawar Municipal Council, considered a stronghold of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.
Independents emerged as a major force, winning 2,273 wards and dominating the verdict in Bharatpur Municipal Corporation, the hometown of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, where they won 36 of the 65 wards. The result also saw the Aam Aadmi Party make a significant breakthrough in Baran.
The polling for the local body elections was held in two phases on September 9 and 11. Polling was held in 162 urban local bodies in phase one, recording a 76.42 per cent voter turnout. The second phase saw 147 urban local bodies going to the polls, leading to a turnout of 70.68 per cent.
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