The Rajasthan urban local body elections, whose results were announced on Monday, was a mix bag for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress.
Of the 10 municipal corporations , BJP has emerged as the largest party in Jaipur, Kota and Alwar and secured clear majorities in Udaipur and Bhilwara. In 10,235 wards out of 10,244, whose results were announced till 8.30 pm, the BJP won 4,179, Congress 3613 and Independent 2,273. Of the 309 local bodies, the BJP secured a clear majority in 86, while the Congress secured a clear majority in 46. Neither party has crossed the majority mark in the remaining 177 bodies. Of these, the BJP is ahead of the Congress in 96, while the Congress leads in 69. The two parties are tied in the remaining 12 local bodies. As per the state election commission data, the BJP lost from Ajmer for the first time in 36 years as the Congress won 37 of the 80 wards, BJP 32 and independents 11. In last elections, BJP got 48 seats and the Congress 18. Earlier reporting noted: Independents emerged as a major force by winning 2,273 wards and dominating the verdict in Municipal Corporation in Bharatpur, the hometown of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, where they bagged 36 of the 65 wards.
Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje ’s home town of Jhalawar was won by the Congress. The rest were won by smaller parties such as RLP, BSP, BAP, CPIM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Congress has secured a clear majority in Bikaner and emerged as the single-largest party in Ajmer and Pali. Bharatpur has produced the strongest showing by independents, while Jodhpur has witnessed an almost exact BJP-Congress tie. Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra attacked the BJP government. As the numbers streamed in, Sharma termed the victory to people’s faith in the BJP, and central leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“This election has shown that the gap which used to be around eight percentage points has now come down to around one,” he said. Senior journalist Shripal Shaktawat said, “There was an undercurrent of discontent over the recent police action against UGC protesters at Jantar Mantar.
Earlier reporting noted: The result assumed political significance as Bharatpur is the hometown of Chief Minister Sharma.
