Jaipur: City’s municipal election has become a test of how far delimitation can alter community arithmetic, with BJP and Congress moving beyond familiar candidate patterns to respond to changed Hindu-Muslim voter balances in the ongoing civic polls.BJP has fielded eight Muslim candidates, while Congress has nominated three Hindu candidates in areas earlier regarded as Muslim-dominated. The sharpest shift is visible in the Kishanpole belt, where wards 60 to 65 of the now defunct JMC Heritage had largely returned Muslim councillors. Congress held four of the six wards, while two were represented by independents; five of the six councillors were Muslim.After delimitation, these pockets have been reorganised as wards 105 to 109. The new boundaries have purportedly brought Hindu and Muslim voters close to parity, reducing the certainty of old voting blocs. Congress has responded by fielding three Hindu candidates across these five wards. In the two wards where it has chosen Muslim nominees, ward 109 stands out because every major contender, including BJP, has also named a Muslim candidate.Congress workers argue that the ruling BJP redrew boundaries to dilute Muslim-majority wards and force fresh calculations. “The party selected candidates according to the new demographic reality, backing Hindus where required and Muslims where minority voters still dominate,” Imran Qureshi, a senior Congress worker, said.BJP workers reject the charge and accuse Congress of tactical communal positioning. “Congress has placed Hindu nominees to split votes while encouraging independent Muslim candidates who could later support Congress if elected,” Vikash Jaiswal, Kishanpole BJP veteran, alleged.The contest reflects local issues and a granular battle over identity, delimitation and political leverage.
