BJP wins six of seven mayoral polls in Rajasthan; Congress cries foul

After emerging as the largest party in the urban local body elections held recently, the rulingBharatiya Janata Party in Rajasthan on Monday (September 21, 2026) won the mayoral contests in six of the seven major Municipal Corporations. The BJP secured the mayoral posts in Ajmer and Pali despite the Congress securing more seats of councillors in both the towns.

The BJP defeated the Congress in Alwar, Udaipur, Pali and Ajmer, while its candidates were elected unopposed in Bharatpur and Bhilwara. The only consolation for Congress came in Bikaner, where it retained the mayoral post with the election of Anil Kalla.

Of the 309 urban bodies in Rajasthan, elections to the top posts were held in 273 on Monday (September 21). Chairpersons were earlier elected unopposed in some other bodies, while elections in the Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota Municipal Corporations and Kota district’s Suket municipality will be held on September 25.

Even as the BJP strengthened its position in the urban areas, the Opposition Congress accused the State government of misusing the police and administration to ensure the victory of the ruling party’s candidates. Pradesh Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra said the senior party leaders were subjected to “coercive police action and abusive behaviour”.

Mr. Dotasra alleged that the BJP had used the police force to pressure the Congress councillors and Independents into helping the party form the boards in several towns. Both the BJP and the Congress had moved their councillors to hotels and resorts ahead of voting to prevent poaching and secure the support of Independents.

The Congress suffered a setback in Pali, where it finished third despite emerging as the largest party. BJP candidate Namita Bubukia won the mayoral election with 33 votes, narrowly defeating Congress rebel Rajbala Hingad, who secured 29. The official Congress candidate received only three votes.

In Ajmer, the BJP’s Anamika Sharma was elected mayor with 43 votes, while the Congress received 37 votes. The BJP, whose 32 councillors were elected in the local body polls, secured the support of 11 Independents.

BJP candidate Paras Singhvi was elected mayor in Udaipur, having secured 55 votes, while Suman Lata Agrawal of the party was elected mayor in Alwar. Congress leader Anil Kalla, nephew of former Minister B.D. Kalla, was elected mayor in Bikaner, where the party had won 42 of the 80 wards, crossing the majority mark on its own.

The BJP candidates were elected as heads in 32 of the 47 Municipal Councils and in 162 of the 252 municipalities. The Aam Aadmi Party formed its first Municipal Council board in Baran, while its candidate Sheetal Rathore was elected the chairperson.

The BJP had won 4,182 wards in the urban body polls held on September 9 and 11, while the Congress secured 3,619. Independents and candidates from other parties won 2,273 wards, making their support crucial for the election of heads of several local bodies.

The Congress pointed out that the High Court had to intervene by issuing directives to ensure the safe arrival of Congress and Congress-backed councillors in various urban bodies to cast their votes. The High Court constituted special benches and held hearings late on Sunday night and Monday morning — both days being holidays — to consider urgent petitions seeking protection from arrest for councillors and candidates.

Several councillors and candidates approached the High Court, apprehending arrest in cases registered shortly before the elections. The court granted interim protection from arrest to the petitioners without expressing a final opinion on whether the criminal cases amounted to unlawful interference in the electoral process.

Independent MLA from Hanumangarh, Ganesh Raj Bansal, was arrested by the CID-CB of Rajasthan police on Sunday in connection with a 23-year-old case involving fake land leases. As many as 34 independents backed by Mr. Bansal’s group were elected in the Municipal Council polls. A Judicial Magistrate’s court in Sangaria has remanded Mr. Bansal in police custody till September 25.