Jaipur: The civic poll results have become a ward-level audit of BJP’s control over home constituencies of Rajasthan ministers. The party held its ground in several high-profile seats, but the results also exposed clear erosion in constituencies represented by senior ministers and a deputy chief minister, where Congress and independents together outnumbered BJP in key urban bodies.BJP retained comfortable leads in chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s Sanganer, Kirori Lal Meena’s Sawai Madhopur, Suresh Singh Rawat’s Pushkar and Avinash Gehlot’s Jaitaran. But in Premchand Bairwa’s Dudu, Jogaram Patel’s Luni, Hemant Meena’s Pratapgarh and parts of Madan Dilawar, Joraram Kumawat and Sumit Godara’s constituencies, the party either trailed the combined non-BJP tally or survived on narrow margins.In deputy chief minister Diya Kumari’s Vidyadhar Nagar, BJP won 12 of 20 Jaipur wards declared Monday. Two wards will go to repolling on Sept 16. The result fell short of a sweep, amid rebellion within the party, independents cutting into votes, and local resentment over the UGC issue in a constituency with a strong Rajput presence.Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore’s Jhotwara also produced a tight result. Of results declared for 13 of 15 wards, BJP won seven, while Congress and independents won six, suggesting recent protests over civic issues prior to polling, along with discontent over the UGC issue, played a role in BJP losing ground in the minister’s constituency.Sanganer, on the other hand, remained firmly with BJP, with the party winning 14 of 21 Jaipur Municipal Corporation wards and Congress seven. In Kanhaiya Lal Choudhary’s Malpura, BJP led in all four urban local bodies, though Congress and independents together accounted for 44-45% of seats in three.Dudu was among BJP’s weakest ministerial constituencies. In Dudu Municipality, BJP won 10 of 25 wards, while Congress and independents won 15. In Phagi, BJP won seven of 20, against 13 for Congress and independents. Multi-cornered contests, rebels and independents shaped the outcome; only wards 16 and 19 saw direct BJP-Congress contests.Kirori Lal Meena’s Sawai Madhopur also delivered a clearer mandate: BJP won 33 of 60 wards, Congress 18 and independents nine.Madan Dilawar’s Ramganj Mandi, meanwhile, delivered a split verdict with BJP winning 24 of 40 wards in Ramganj Mandi, but tying with Congress at 10 each in Suket municipality, with independents winning four. One Suket ward will repoll on Sept 16.Jogaram Patel’s Luni produced BJP’s sharpest setback: of seven declared Jodhpur wards, BJP won one, Congress four and independents two. One ward will repoll on Sept 16.Pushkar and Jaitaran stayed with BJP, both returning 19-6 verdicts in favour of the party. In Sumerpur, BJP led but slipped in Takhatgarh. In Pratapgarh, BJP won 17 of 40 council wards but recovered in Arnod with 14 of 20. In Lunkaransar, BJP won 23 of 35, but in Napasar Congress and independents led BJP by nine seats.
