The New Indian Express ·
Politics
Rajasthan’s civic polls: BJP leads with 3,795 wards
JAIPUR: In the 2026 Rajasthan civic body elections, the ruling BJP has maintained its lead at the state level, with the Congress in second place. However, the Congress and independents have put up a strong fight in several major urban centres, producing a highly competitive outcome.
According to the latest state wide tally, results had been declared for 9,269 wards by Monday afternoon. The BJP won 3,795, the Congress 3,265 and independents 2,080, while smaller parties secured 129. Independents thus accounted for over 22% of the declared results.
With around 2,100 independent candidates winning Rajasthan’s urban local body elections, they might emerge as kingmakers in several civic bodies, leaving the BJP and Congress vying for their support ahead of the mayoral and chairperson elections.
The BJP has emerged as the largest party in Alwar, Kota and Jaipur, while the Congress has secured a clear majority in Bikaner. The BJP is also set to appoint mayors in Udaipur and Bhilwara. In Udaipur, the party won 53 of 80 wards, securing a clear majority.
The Congress has made gains in Ajmer and Pali. It won 37 seats in Ajmer against the BJP’s 32, while in Pali it secured 29 seats. Jodhpur has produced a tight contest, with the BJP and Congress level on seats, while independents have taken the lead in Bharatpur.
The elections covered 10,245 wards across 309 urban bodies. Nearly 48% of the 38,889 candidates contested as independents, many of them BJP or Congress rebels denied party tickets. Others relied on their local standing, community networks and accessibility rather than party affiliation.
In Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s home constituency of Bharatpur, independents delivered the biggest surprise, winning 36 of the 65 wards. The BJP secured 20 seats, while the Congress won just seven.
Political analysts said resentment over the UGC and EWS issues may also have contributed to the BJP’s losses among sections of its traditional general-category support base. The police action against UGC protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar was widely circulated on social media and generated discontent among voters.
They will also determine board formation in Pali, where the Congress won 29 wards, the BJP 21 and independents 15. In Ajmer, the Congress secured 37 of 80 wards, the BJP 32 and Independents 11. In Jodhpur, the BJP and Congress won 44 wards each, giving the 10 Independents a decisive role.
The BJP expelled 49 rebels for contesting against its authorised candidates. Analysts said the outcome showed that voters in civic elections often prioritised candidates’ local reputation and work over party loyalty.
The BJP maintained that several independent winners were party workers and expressed confidence that they would support its “triple-engine government”. The Congress claimed that many independents were associated with it because the party had deliberately not fielded candidates in every ward.
While the BJP has maintained its lead statewide, it has suffered setbacks in the strongholds of several senior leaders and ministers, including Jhalawar bastion of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and State BJP President Madan Rathore’s Pali.
Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also made a strong debut in Rajasthan politics, winning 32 of 60 wards in the Baran Municipal Council and securing an absolute majority. In Nokha Municipality in Bikaner district, the CPI(M) won enough seats to form the board. The RLP, CPI(M) and BAP also made their presence felt, with Hanuman Beniwal’s RLP emerging as a potential kingmaker in Kekri and other areas.
The results make it clear that where independents have won in large numbers, both the BJP and Congress will face a tough battle to secure the chairperson’s post. The victory of independents also points to the importance of individual candidates at the local level, where personal influence can outweigh party affiliation.
With no party securing a majority in several bodies, both sides have begun keeping their councillors together in an effort to guard against defections and horse-trading. With mayors and chairpersons to be elected on September 21, negotiations for the support of Independents are expected to intensify across Rajasthan.
