Jaipur, Sep 14 (IANS) The results of elections to 309 urban local bodies in Rajasthan will be declared on Monday, determining the fate of 38,889 candidates and setting the stage for the formation of governing boards in 10 Municipal Corporations, 47 Municipal Councils and 252 Municipalities.
Vote counting began at 8 a.m., with results for all urban local bodies expected to be declared by the afternoon.
The simultaneous counting will also set the stage for political negotiations over the formation of boards, with the BJP, Congress, other parties and Independent councillors expected to engage in post-result manoeuvring.
The elections were held in two phases on September 9 and 11, with counting taking place simultaneously across the state.
In most urban local bodies, votes will be counted at the respective headquarters. In Bikaner, however, counting will be conducted at the district headquarters. A total voter turnout of 73.56 per cent was recorded across the two phases, more than three percentage points higher than the turnout in the previous urban local body elections. The election featured candidates from major political parties as well as a large number of independents.
The BJP fielded 9,290 candidates, while the Congress fielded 9,027. Independent candidates accounted for 18,732 contestants. Other parties in the fray included the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) with 948 candidates, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) with 311, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) with 298, the CPI(M) with 185 and the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) with 98 candidates.
The large number of Independent candidates could prove significant during the subsequent process of board formation, particularly in closely contested urban local bodies where neither major party secures a clear majority.
The State Election Commission has made arrangements to publish counting results and updates on its website.
As counting progresses, city-wise and urban-body-wise standings are expected to emerge throughout the day. The simultaneous declaration of results is also expected to compress the time available for parties to consolidate numbers and negotiate the formation of governing boards.
For the BJP, the results will be a test of its ability to overturn the Congress’ performance in the previous urban local body elections, while the party is currently in power in Rajasthan.
The Congress, meanwhile, faces the challenge of demonstrating that its urban support base remains intact despite the change in government. BJP leaders have claimed that the party will succeed in forming boards in more than 200 urban local bodies. The Congress has not announced a specific target but has expressed confidence about its performance. Senior leaders of both parties spent Sunday assessing likely outcomes and calculating numbers ahead of the results.
For the first time in Rajasthan, results for all 309 urban local bodies are being declared simultaneously under the ‘One State-One Election’ model. Previously, urban local body elections were conducted in separate phases, with the overall electoral process extending over more than a year. Monday’s results will therefore provide an early indication of whether the new simultaneous-election model alters the political dynamics traditionally associated with local body polls.
The results will also offer a broader reading of the political mood in urban Rajasthan and indicate whether the earlier electoral pattern continues or whether the incumbent party gains an advantage from being in power at the state level.
Between 2019 and 2021, elections to 196 urban local bodies were conducted in five phases when the Congress was in power in Rajasthan. Of the 7,500 wards contested during that election cycle, the Congress won 3,036, while the BJP secured 2,676. Independent candidates and other parties won 1,788 wards. However, ward-level victories did not automatically translate into control of urban local bodies.
The subsequent board formation process highlighted the importance of negotiations with Independent councillors and smaller parties. The Congress eventually formed boards in 125 of the 196 urban local bodies, while the BJP formed boards in 64. Independent candidates and other parties succeeded in forming boards in seven local bodies.
The 2026 results will therefore determine more than individual ward winners. The crucial political test will be whether the BJP, Congress or other groups can convert their electoral numbers into actual control of urban local bodies across Rajasthan.
With counting underway simultaneously across the state, the results are expected to provide both a verdict on local candidates and a significant indicator of the current political mood in urban Rajasthan.
–IANS
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