India Today ·
Politics
Gen Z gets foot in Rajasthan local politics as 6 win Jaipur polls
Six Gen Z candidates won in Jaipur's civic polls, while 21-year-old Neha Sharma triumphed in Alwar. The results signalled a modest but visible generational shift in Rajasthan's local politics.
Rajasthan's urban local body election results have offered a glimpse of Gen Z's growing presence in grassroots politics, with six young candidates winning seats in the Jaipur Municipal Corporation after the BJP and the Congress fielded 18 candidates from the generation across 150 wards.
Of the 18 Gen Z candidates in the fray in Jaipur, four winners were from the Congress and two from the BJP. The six councillors will account for about 4% of the civic body's elected strength.
The Congress fielded 12 Gen Z candidates, twice as many as the BJP, which gave tickets to six.
Among the youngest winners was 21-year-old Congress candidate Faiz Hasan, who won Ward 71 by defeating 39-year-old Independent candidate Mohammad Salim. BJP's Palak Yadav, also 21, secured victory in Ward 10, defeating 39-year-old Congress candidate Vandana Jakhar.
Another closely watched contest was in Ward 115, where 29-year-old BJP candidate Suraj Godiwal defeated 67-year-old Congress candidate Suresh Biwal by 1,063 votes. The result underscored the generational shift visible in some contests, with Godiwal being 38 years younger than his rival.
The elections also produced notable victories outside Jaipur. In Alwar district's Thanagazi ward, 21-year-old journalist Neha Sharma won after making her electoral debut.
Speaking after her victory, Sharma said her years of reporting from rural Rajasthan inspired her to enter politics and work directly for people. "Kyun na shuruwaat khud se hi ki jaaye? (Why not start with myself?)" she said.
Sharma said she had often seen villagers and farmers travel to Jaipur and spend hours outside government offices or waiting to meet elected representatives to get their grievances addressed. She felt that merely reporting such issues was not enough, prompting her to take a more direct role in public life.
While young candidates remain a small minority in Rajasthan's urban local bodies, the results highlighted an emerging Gen Z presence in local politics, particularly in Jaipur, where six candidates from the generation secured victories.
