Winner takes it all: How Bhajanlal Sharma led BJP’s power surge across 199 urban bodies

The BJP won 4,179 of the 10,244 wards declared and secured 199 urban local bodies, while the Congress won 3,613 wards and 94 bodies. Independents also secured 2,273 wards. The ruling party won six of the seven mayoral contests decided so far, with Bikaner staying with the Opposition.

Jaipur: Giving Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and the party organisation a strong result in the latest round of local elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured control of 199 urban local bodies in Rajasthan. The outcome comes about halfway through the state government's five-year term and ahead of the upcoming Panchayati Raj elections.

The BJP's tally includes six municipal corporations, 31 municipal councils and 162 municipalities. The Congress has secured 94 urban bodies, while other parties and independents have won eight.

The municipal corporation results have also gone largely in the BJP's favour so far. Party candidates have won the mayoral posts in Ajmer, Alwar, Bharatpur, Bhilwara, Pali and Udaipur. The Congress retained Bikaner, where its candidate Anil Kalla defeated BJP's Surendra Singh Shekhawat 50-30 in the 80-member corporation.

The mayoral elections in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota are still scheduled for September 25, so the final picture for all 10 municipal corporations is yet to emerge.

What the ward results show

The urban-body tally needs to be read along with the ward-level numbers. The BJP won 4,179 of the 10,244 wards for which results were declared, while the Congress won 3,613 and independents secured 2,273. The BJP polled 35.18% of the vote across the 309 urban bodies, compared with 34.24% for the Congress. Independents accounted for 27.38%.

The numbers also explain why control of several local bodies was decided through post-poll voting for chairpersons and mayors. In Ajmer, for example, the Congress had 37 councillors against BJP's 32, while independents held 11 seats. BJP's Anamika Sharma still won the mayoral election with 43 votes after securing support from independents.

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The result has therefore given the BJP control of a larger number of urban bodies than its ward tally by itself might suggest. Independents have also retained a sizeable presence in local councils, making them important in several local-level equations.

Why result is important for Bhajanlal Sharma

The elections were the first major urban local-body test for the BJP government after it completed roughly half of its term. During the campaign, Sharma addressed rallies and held roadshows across the municipal corporation areas and released the party's urban local-body vision document.

He has also said that his government has completed 78% of the promises made in its election manifesto. He credited the BJP's performance to the work of the government, party workers and elected representatives.

BJP leaders have described the result as support for the party's work in Rajasthan and a positive sign before the Panchayati Raj elections. BJP’s State President Madan Rathore said the party was confident of performing well in the next round of rural local elections.

The result also has local exceptions. The BJP failed to secure every urban body, and independents won 2,273 wards. The Congress retained Bikaner's mayoral post, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won its first municipal council board in Rajasthan in Baran.

The next test will come with the Panchayati Raj elections. Before that, Rajasthan will see the mayoral contests in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota on September 25. The results will complete the municipal corporation tally.

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