The ‘independent’ factor: How BJP snatched Ajmer and Pali mayorships from under Congress's nose

The Congress had more councillors than the BJP in Ajmer and Pali, but BJP candidates secured both mayoral posts. The BJP also won Udaipur and Alwar, while the Congress took Bikaner. Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota will hold their mayoral elections on September 25.

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won six of the seven Rajasthan municipal corporation mayoral posts decided so far, while the Congress has secured Bikaner. The results came on Monday (September 21), when voters elected mayors and heads of 273 urban local bodies across the state.

The five municipal corporations that went to the mayoral polls were Ajmer, Bikaner, Udaipur, Alwar and Pali. Bharatpur and Bhilwara had already elected their mayors unopposed. The mayoral elections in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota have been scheduled for September 25 because the voting and counting process in those corporations was affected by EVM-related issues.

The BJP's six decided mayoral posts are Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur and Bhilwara. The Congress won Bikaner, where Anil Kalla secured 50 of the 80 votes cast.

Congress led in Ajmer and Pali

The Ajmer result was among the day's major contests. The Congress had won 37 of the 80 wards in the municipal corporation, compared with 32 for the BJP and 11 independents. That gave the grand old party the largest bloc, but BJP candidate Anamika Sharma won the mayoral election on Monday.

Pali witnessed a similar result. The Congress had won 29 of the 65 wards, while the BJP had 21 and independents 15. The majority number was 33. BJP candidate Namita Bubakia secured the mayor's post, becoming the district’s first elected woman mayor.

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The two results show how the mayoral elections were decided separately from the ward results. Since councillors elect the mayor, the final outcome in corporations without a clear majority depended on the votes of independents and the ability of parties to hold their councillor groups together.

BJP wins Udaipur and Alwar

BJP candidate Paras Singhi won the Udaipur mayoral post. The party had secured a majority in the 80-member Udaipur Municipal Corporation by winning 53 wards in the councillor elections.

In Alwar, BJP candidate Sumanlata Agrawal became mayor. The party had 28 councillors in the 65-member corporation after the ward elections, while th Congress had 23. Neither party had the 33 votes required for a majority. That made the final contest dependent on support beyond the two main parties.

Bharatpur and Bhilwara had been settled before Monday's voting. BJP's Anuradha Singh was elected unopposed in Bharatpur after independent candidate Vichitra Singh withdrew her nomination. Bhilwara also elected BJP's Jaswant Kanwar unopposed.

The state Election Commission had said 32 heads of urban local bodies were elected unopposed before the September 21 voting, including the two municipal corporations.

Bikaner gives Congress a win

Bikaner was the one municipal corporation among the seven decided so far to go to the Congress. Anil Kalla received 50 votes in the 80-member corporation, giving the party the mayor's post.

It had secured a clear majority in the district during the ward elections, unlike several other major cities where the BJP had either won a majority or emerged as the largest party.

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The ward-level results had already put BJP ahead across Rajasthan. Statewide results for more than 10,200 wards showed the BJP with 4,171 seats, the Congress with 3,597 and independents with 2,272.

Independent councillors have played an important role in several corporations. Bharatpur was the clearest example, with independents winning 36 of its 65 wards. Their presence was important in Ajmer, Pali and Jodhpur, where neither of the two main parties had a clear majority after the councillor elections.

Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota votes on September 25

The Rajasthan civic election process is not over yet. Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota will elect their mayors on September 25. The elections in these three corporations were postponed after EVM problems left some ward results pending. Repolling was held at affected booths before the Election Commission fixed the new date for the mayoral polls.

The three corporations will complete the contests for all 10 municipal corporations in the present round of Rajasthan urban local body elections.

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