Jaipur: The battle for control of Jodhpur Municipal Corporation has once again turned into a test of influence between Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, with both camps reaching out to independents to cobble together the numbers needed to form the governing board.The 100-member corporation is split 44-44 between BJP and Congress, with 10 independents holding the key. The majority mark is 51, leaving both parties seven short of the mark. A repoll in one ward following a technical glitch in an EVM has added another layer of uncertainty to the contest.“It is a question of seven councillors. Whoever gets them will get the board,” said a source involved in the negotiations on behalf of BJP. Both camps are making efforts to get the 10 independents on board, with sources saying several of the councillors have been difficult to reach. BJP and Congress are understood to have offered the deputy mayor’s post and other assurances to win their support.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
BJP district president Rajendra Paliwal is leading the negotiations on the party’s behalf as Union minister Shekhawat has left for Chandigarh and Delhi for official meetings. BJP has put in place a multi-layered strategy, reaching out to councillors and extending assurances of support.Paliwal said BJP was confident of securing the numbers. “By Sept 21, the date for mayoral elections, seven councillors will join us. Our message to all independents is clear — with BJP, they will join PM Modi’s path of nation building,” he said.Paliwal brushed aside suggestions that Shekhawat’s standing has been affected by ticket distribution in municipal elections. “There were shortcomings, but that does not mean we cannot form the board. Seven is not a big number for us,” he said.The Congress camp, meanwhile, has engaged local office-bearers and party workers to persuade the independents. Sources said Gehlot is directly involved in the negotiations and has personally called some of the independents to assure them of his support and urge them to back Congress. The opposition party is highlighting the long-term political prospects of staying with Congress, particularly with an eye on the 2028 assembly elections.A Congress senior involved in the outreach said, “Independents know that this is not just about the mayoral election. Their political future also matters. They have been told that Congress will stand by them not only in the civic board but in the larger political journey ahead.”BJP’s key advantage is that it is less vulnerable to cross-voting concerns in the mayoral election, while Congress will have to keep its camp together and ensure its councillors remain aligned.The contest is once again a matter of prestige for both Gehlot and Shekhawat, who have been political rivals in every election held in Jodhpur. For Gehlot, retaining influence in his home turf would reinforce his standing within the state Congress. For Shekhawat, delivering the civic board in his Lok Sabha constituency would be a significant political achievement.
