The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured the mayoral posts in Ajmer, Pali and Udaipur on Monday, September 21, despite Congress emerging as the largest party in the ward elections in both Ajmer and Pali.
The results came after independent councillors played an important role in the mayoral contests, particularly in Ajmer and Pali, where Congress had won more wards than the BJP in the earlier civic elections.
BJP Takes Ajmer Mayor Post With 43 Votes
In Ajmer, BJP candidate Anamika Sharma was elected mayor after securing 43 votes in the 80-member Ajmer Municipal Corporation.
Congress candidate Kiran Gadwal received 37 votes.
The Congress had emerged as the largest party in the September 14 ward elections, winning 37 of the 80 wards. The BJP had won 32 wards, while 11 seats went to independent candidates.
All 11 independent councillors backed the BJP candidate in the mayoral election, taking the BJP’s total to 43 votes.
The result meant that Congress could not convert its position as the largest party into the mayor’s post.
Pali Sees Another Upset
A similar result emerged in Pali, where BJP’s Namita Bubakia was elected mayor with 33 votes.
Independent candidate Rajbala Hingad received 29 votes, while Congress candidate Sumitra Jain got only three votes. All 65 councillors voted in the election.
Congress had won 29 of the 65 wards in the Pali Municipal Corporation election. The BJP had won 21 wards, while independent candidates secured 15 seats.
The final mayoral voting therefore produced a different result from the ward election, with BJP crossing the 33-vote majority mark.
Paras Singhvi Elected Udaipur Mayor
In Udaipur, BJP candidate Paras Singhvi won the mayoral election with 55 votes.
Congress candidate Poonam Kunwar Rathore received 25 votes. Two independent councillors also supported Singhvi, according to reports.
The Udaipur Municipal Corporation has 80 wards. In the September 14 civic elections, the BJP won 53 wards while Congress secured 23.
Singhvi’s 55 votes gave him a clear majority in the mayoral election.
Independents Play Key Role
The results in Ajmer and Pali highlighted the importance of independent councillors in mayoral elections.
In Ajmer, the 11 independent councillors provided the votes needed for the BJP to cross the majority mark.
Pali also had a large independent bloc, with 15 independents holding seats in the 65-member corporation. The BJP ultimately secured the mayor’s post despite having fewer ward victories than Congress.
The mayoral results followed the ward elections held earlier this month across several Rajasthan urban local bodies, with the final leadership of individual municipal corporations being decided through separate mayoral votes.
