Ajmer: A tumultuous day of political manoeuvring, heavy rainfall, and police presence enveloped the Ajmer municipal corporation (AMC) polls, culminating at 6 pm Thursday when the district election committee dismissed BJP’s objection against Congress mayoral candidate Kiran Gadwal’s nomination.BJP mayoral candidate Anamika Sharma had challenged Gadwal’s eligibility, claiming the latter had submitted false information regarding dues owed to AMC.“The committee called representatives of both parties and announced the verdict,” Vivek Parashar, vice-president of Congress city and legal adviser, said following the election committee decision rejecting Sharma’s objection.The conflict ignited when Sharma, joined by BJP city president Ramesh Soni and others, reached the district election office to formally file their objection, alleging that Gadwal misrepresented her financial standing with AMC.Soni claimed, “Gadwal’s husband has not paid dues of Rs 19 lakh since 2018. How AMC gave NOC to Gadwal, we don’t know.”The allegation sparked a tense six-hour standoff outside the AMC office, with Congress supporters rallying in response to BJP’s actions. Despite the downpour, Congress workers remained steadfast, claiming that BJP’s objection was a desperate attempt to undermine democracy in Ajmer.“This is sheer misuse of power by BJP and gives a clear message that it doesn’t have the numbers (in AMC polls),” Pramod Sharma, Congress city general secretary, said.In contrast, BJP candidate Sharma maintained, “My objection was within my rights,” as the situation grew increasingly charged with supporters from both sides swelling.As the crowd intensified, heavy police forces were deployed to uphold order amid fears of violence. Senior Congress members voiced concerns about BJP leveraging its governmental influence to disrupt the electoral process. “I talked to the election officers and requested that they should not work under pressure,” Dharmendra Rathore, a senior Congressman, said.Later, as rumours surged through social media, suggesting that Gadwal’s nomination had been rejected, tensions escalated further. The intervention by key Congress figures, including state president Govind Singh Dotasra and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, swelled the morale of Congress supporters.In the end, the election committee upheld Gadwal’s nomination, signalling a partial victory for Congress amid claims from BJP regarding procedural discrepancies. Dotasra said, “People’s mandate cannot be hijacked.”
