JAIPUR: The ruling BJP on Monday widened its lead over the Congress in Rajasthan’s urban local body elections, winning 4,171 wards against the opposition party’s 3,597, with results for at least 10,200 wards declared.The verdict in key municipal corporations presented a mixed picture, with the BJP securing majorities in several urban bodies while the Congress emerged victorious in Bikaner and was leading in Ajmer and Pali.The BJP won 53 of the 80 wards in Udaipur Municipal Corporation, 45 of 70 wards in Bhilwara and 53 of 100 wards in Kota, securing clear majorities in all three.The Congress emerged victorious in Bikaner and was leading in Ajmer and Pali, while the BJP edged past the Congress in Jaipur and Alwar. Jodhpur witnessed a close contest, with the BJP and Congress winning 44 wards each, while Independents secured the remaining 10.Bharatpur threw up an unusual result, with Independents winning or leading in 36 of its 65 wards. The BJP won 20 wards and the Congress seven, while the BSP and RLP won one ward each.Bharatpur is the hometown of chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma.In Ajmer, the Congress won 37 of the 80 wards, while the BJP secured 32 and Independents 11.In the 65-ward Pali Nagar Nigam, the Congress won 29 wards, the BJP 21 and Independents 15. Pali is the hometown of BJP state president Madan Rathore.Independents also put up a strong performance across the state, winning 2,272 wards and emerging as a potentially decisive force in several urban bodies.Of the 10,244 wards where counting was held, results for 10,210 had been declared till 5.45 pm.Overall, the BJP won 4,171 wards, Congress 3,597, Independents 2,272, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) 63, CPI(M) 38, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 19, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 42 and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) eight.Repolling at one booth in Jaipur will be held on September 11.The elections are being seen as an important political test for the Sharma-led BJP government and the opposition Congress ahead of the 2028 Assembly polls.Polling for the 309 urban local bodies was held in two phases on September 9 and 11.A total of 10,245 councillors are to be elected in 10 municipal corporations, 51 municipal councils and 248 municipalities. More than 1.44 crore voters were eligible to exercise their franchise.In the previous municipal election cycle, held between November 2019 and February 2021, Rajasthan had 196 urban local bodies comprising 7,500 wards.After the elections for mayors and chairpersons, the Congress controlled 123 of the 196 urban bodies, while the BJP controlled 64. Independents and other parties headed nine.Mayors and chairpersons will be elected on September 21, followed by deputy mayors, deputy chairpersons and municipal vice-presidents on September 22.(With Agency Inputs)
