Jaipur: With the BJP winning 78 wards in Jaipur Municipal Corporation so far, the party is in the driver’s seat to form the board, but the race for mayor has already begun. Congress, with 53 seats, is also weighing contenders for Leader of Opposition. Independents have won 15 wards, while repolling is pending in four.
Puneet Karnawat (BJP)
Ghazanfar Ali (Congress)
Dharam Singh Singhaniya (Congress)
Among BJP’s possible mayoral contenders are Puneet Karnawat, Sunil Kothari, Vimal Agrawal and Neeraj Agrawal. Former mayor Jyoti Khandelwal, who was also in the fray, has been ruled out after losing her ward.Kothari, elected from Ward 112, is seen as a strong contender. A former BJP city president, he has held several organisational responsibilities and was considered a leading potential mayoral candidate even before the polls. His organisational standing could strengthen his claim.Former deputy mayor Karnawat, who won Ward 76, is another key contender. His experience of running the civic body could work in his favour if BJP prefers someone familiar with its functioning.Vimal Agrawal, elected from Ward 135, and Neeraj Agrawal from Ward 121 are also being discussed. Social equations could influence the choice. If BJP opts for a Vaishya mayor, Vimal could emerge as a strong contender. A former councillor, he has been associated with ABVP and had rebelled against BJP along with Ghanshyam Tiwari before returning to the party with him.In Congress, Bharat Meghwal, elected from Ward 84, and Dharam Singh Singhaniya, from Ward 49, are among the frontrunners for Leader of Opposition. Meghwal was earlier deputy leader of opposition, while Singhaniya served as LoP in the 2014 board. This time, Singhaniya defeated former councillor Mukesh Sharma, considered close to CM Bhajan Lal Sharma.Ghazanfar Ali, who won Ward 113 by 10,014 votes, is another contender. He was an influential councillor in the 2014 board, while his wife served as a councillor in 2020. His experience, emphatic victory and minority representation could strengthen his claim.For BJP, the choice will hinge on organisational experience, civic-body experience and social equations. Congress will weigh experience, electoral performance and representation before finalising its LoP.
