The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a landslide victory in the Rajasthan municipal elections. Of the 309 urban local body seats for which results have been declared, the BJP won 163, the Congress 103, and independent candidates 43. The counting of votes started at 8 am.
The Rajasthan municipal elections saw 38,889 candidates in the fray. The election cleared the way for the formation of governing boards in 10 municipal corporations, 47 municipal councils, and 252 municipalities.
Elections Were Held In 2 Phases
The elections were held in two phases on September 9 and 11, and votes were counted simultaneously across the state. A total of 73.56 percent voter turnout was recorded in both phases, more than three percentage points higher than the previous urban local body elections. These elections featured candidates from major political parties as well as a large number of independents.
Candidates By Various Parties
The BJP fielded 9,290 candidates, while the Congress fielded 9,027. Independents numbered 18,732. The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) with 948 candidates, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with 311, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with 298, the CPI(M) with 185, and the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) with 98 were some of the parties also in the fray.
Results Crucial For Both BJP And Congress
Th contest is particularly crucial for the BJP government led by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. The party is looking to strengthen its position in urban Rajasthan after coming to power in the 2023 assembly elections.
For the Congress, these civic elections are an opportunity to demonstrate that, despite losing the assembly elections, its organisational base in the state remains strong. The results also offer an early indication of voter mood in Rajasthan’s urban areas and the strength of the two main parties at the ward level.