Rajasthan: BJP Secures 197 Civic Body Heads, More Than Twice Congress Tally; Polls for Four Posts on September 25

BJP Wins 197 Rajasthan Civic Body Head Posts

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured the posts of mayor, chairperson or president in 197 of the 301 urban local bodies where results have been declared in Rajasthan's civic-body elections.

The Congress has won 94 of these posts, putting the BJP's tally at more than twice that of its principal rival. Independents have secured seven top posts, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), CPI(M) and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) have won one post each.

The results follow elections for councillor posts earlier this month and subsequent contests for the leadership positions of urban local bodies.

Four More Civic Body Elections on September 25

The current results cover 301 of the 305 urban local bodies included in the present election schedule.

Elections for the remaining four top posts are scheduled for September 25. These include the mayoral elections for the Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporations and the chairperson election for Suket Municipality.

The State Election Commission had earlier said that 32 civic-body heads were elected unopposed, while elections were held in 273 bodies on September 21.

BJP's Strong Showing in Mayoral Elections

The BJP has so far won six of the seven major municipal corporation mayoral contests that have been decided.

The party won in:

• Ajmer

• Alwar

• Bharatpur

• Bhilwara

• Pali

• Udaipur

The Congress won the mayoral election in Bikaner.

Some of these contests produced outcomes in which the party with the largest number of councillors did not necessarily secure the mayoral post.

Ajmer: BJP Candidate Wins With Independent Support

In Ajmer Municipal Corporation, the Congress emerged as the largest group with 37 councillors, compared with 32 for the BJP. Independents won 11 seats.

Despite having fewer councillors, BJP candidate Anamika Sharma won the mayoral election with 43 votes, indicating the importance of support from councillors outside the BJP's own tally.

The result illustrates how mayoral elections can produce a different outcome from the underlying councillor election when independent councillors play a decisive role.

Alwar and Pali Results

In Alwar, the BJP won 28 of the 65 wards, while Congress won 23 and Independents 13. BJP candidate Suman Lata Agrawal subsequently won the mayoral election with 42 votes.

Pali produced another closely watched contest. Congress had won 29 wards, compared with 21 for the BJP and 15 for Independents. BJP candidate Namita Bubukia nevertheless won the mayoral election with 33 votes.

Bharatpur: Independents Held a Majority of Wards

Bharatpur presented a particularly unusual result.

Independents won 36 of the 65 wards in Bharatpur Municipal Corporation, giving them an outright majority. The BJP won 20 wards and Congress seven, while the BSP and RLP won one ward each.

Despite the Independents' numerical strength, BJP candidate Anuradha Singh was elected mayor unopposed.

Bharatpur is also the home district of Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

BJP Had 28 of 32 Unopposed Victories

Before the September 21 contests, 32 civic-body heads had already been elected without a contest.

Of those 32, 28 belonged to the BJP, two to the Congress and two were Independents, according to the State Election Commission-related reports.

These unopposed victories formed part of the BJP's eventual 197 top-post tally.

Congress Wins 94 Posts

The Congress has won 94 of the 301 civic-body leadership posts decided so far.

Although this is substantially below the BJP's tally, Congress candidates did win the mayoral post in Bikaner and remained competitive in several municipal bodies where the councillor results were more closely divided.

The final outcome across all scheduled bodies will only be known after the remaining elections on September 25.

Independents Remain Important

Independent councillors played an important role in several mayoral and chairperson elections.

They won seven of the 301 top posts decided so far. More significantly, their councillor numbers allowed them to become potential swing voters in contests where neither major party had a clear majority.

In several municipalities, both the BJP and Congress reportedly moved their councillors to hotels or resorts ahead of the leadership elections as parties sought to prevent defections and secure support.

AAP Makes a Breakthrough in Baran

The Aam Aadmi Party recorded a notable result by winning the chairperson's post of Baran Municipal Council.

AAP's Sheetal Rathore was elected chairperson, giving the party its first municipal council board in Rajasthan, according to India Today.

CPI(M)'s Bajranglal won the chairperson's post in Nokha Municipality, while RLP's Alka won in Mundwa Municipality in Nagaur district.

BJP's Civic-Body Performance Compared With Ward Results

The BJP's performance in the top-post elections is stronger than its showing in the councillor elections.

Across 10,244 wards that went to polls, the BJP won 4,182 wards, while Congress won 3,619. Independents and candidates from other parties accounted for 2,273 wards.

The difference between ward-level representation and top-post results demonstrates the role of subsequent mayoral and chairperson elections, where councillors vote to choose the leadership of the respective bodies.

Political Reactions to the Results

Rajasthan BJP president Madan Rathore said the results represented public support for the development work of the Bhajanlal Sharma government.

Congress leaders, however, have raised allegations concerning the conduct of the elections. Congress Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully alleged that government machinery was used to put pressure on Congress councillors in some areas.

The BJP has rejected the allegations. Madan Rathore said the party had not misused government power and argued that councillors vote voluntarily. These are competing political claims, and allegations of pressure should not be treated as established facts without independent verification.

Why the Results Matter

Rajasthan's civic-body elections are significant because municipal corporations, councils and municipalities are responsible for a wide range of local-government functions.

The leadership of these bodies plays a role in areas such as:

• Urban infrastructure

• Sanitation and waste management

• Local roads and public facilities

• Municipal administration

• Urban development

• Local civic services

The distribution of mayoral and chairperson posts therefore determines which parties and groups will lead these local institutions during the coming term.

Final Four Contests Could Add to the Tally

The September 25 elections will determine four remaining top posts in the current schedule.

The most prominent contests will be in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporations, three of Rajasthan's major urban centres. Suket Municipality will also hold its chairperson election on the same date.

The results could change the final distribution of top posts, although the BJP already holds a substantial lead based on the 301 results declared so far.

Rajasthan Civic-Body Results at a Glance

Party/GroupTop Posts Won So FarBJP197Congress94Independents7AAP1CPI(M)1RLP1Total decided301

The figures represent mayor, chairperson and president posts declared as of September 21, 2026.

What Happens Next?

The remaining four scheduled top-post elections will take place on September 25.

After these contests, the distribution of mayoral and chairperson posts across the 305 urban local bodies covered by the current election schedule will be clearer.

The State Election Commission will then proceed with the next stages of the municipal leadership process, including elections for deputy or vice-chairperson positions according to the notified schedule.

Bottom Line

The BJP has secured 197 of the 301 Rajasthan urban local-body top posts declared so far, compared with 94 for the Congress. Independents have won seven posts, while AAP, CPI(M) and RLP have secured one each.

The BJP has also won six of the seven major municipal corporation mayoral contests decided so far, with Congress winning Bikaner. The results show the importance of councillor alliances and independent support, as several mayoral outcomes differed from the party-wise ward tallies.

Four more top-post elections — in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota and Suket — are scheduled for September 25, after which the current round of Rajasthan civic-body leadership elections will be completed.