Archive · 28 Sep 2026
BJP Dominates Rajasthan Civic Polls, Congress Trails, BAP Stumbles
The BJP performed much better than the Congress in Rajasthan’s urban local elections.
It formed governing boards in 204 local bodies, while the Congress formed 96.
The BJP also won in nine of the state’s 10 municipal corporations.
It did especially well in three tribal districts.
The Bharat Adivasi Party, or BAP, did not form a board in any local body in those districts.
Experts say BAP’s message about tribal identity attracted voters in earlier elections, but its organisation was not strong enough this time.
The BJP used local planning, leaders’ visits, and messages about development and nationalism.
The BJP has already started preparing for the next Panchayati Raj elections.
The BJP formed boards in 204 urban local bodies across Rajasthan, compared with 96 for the Congress.
The BJP secured boards in nine of Rajasthan’s 10 municipal corporations.
In the tribal districts of Banswara, Dungarpur and Pratapgarh, the BJP won boards in seven of nine urban local bodies.
The Bharat Adivasi Party failed to form a board in any urban local body across the three tribal-dominated districts.
The BJP credited detailed organisation, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s outreach, and its focus on development and nationalism for its gains.
- Who
- The Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, and Bharat Adivasi Party were the main parties discussed; Bhajan Lal Sharma led the BJP’s campaign outreach.
- What
- The BJP formed boards in 204 urban local bodies, while the Congress formed 96 and the BAP failed to form one in the three highlighted tribal districts.
- When
- The report discusses the recent urban local body election results and says preparations for Panchayati Raj elections have already begun; exact dates are not stated.
- Where
- Rajasthan, including the tribal-dominated districts of Banswara, Dungarpur and Pratapgarh.
- Why
- The report attributes the BJP’s performance to detailed organisation, leadership outreach, roadshows, development and nationalism messaging, and ideological work in the tribal belt.
BJP’s Explanation
Alternative Political Assessment
Reasons for the BJP’s gains
BJP’s Explanation
The BJP’s detailed grassroots organisation, leadership visits, Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s roadshows, and focus on development and nationalism helped deliver the results.
Alternative Political Assessment
Political experts and the report also point to the Congress losing support among some tribal voters and to weaknesses in the BAP’s organisational structure.
Tribal politics
BJP’s Explanation
The BJP appears to have created space between the Congress’s traditional voter base and the BAP’s tribal-identity politics through political management and ideological work.
Alternative Political Assessment
The BAP’s earlier gains were linked to demands for a separate Bhil Pradesh and its emphasis on tribal identity, suggesting that identity politics remains important even though the party performed poorly in these civic polls.
Meaning of the BAP result
BJP’s Explanation
The BAP’s failure to form a board in the three districts indicates that its previous electoral momentum did not translate into urban local governance.
Alternative Political Assessment
The report does not establish that the BAP’s broader support has disappeared; it notes that the party had recently won four Assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat.
- BJP urban boards
- 204 across Rajasthan
- Congress urban boards
- 96 across Rajasthan
- Municipal corporations
- The BJP formed boards in nine of Rajasthan’s 10 municipal corporations
- Tribal-district result
- The BJP formed boards in seven of nine urban local bodies across Banswara, Dungarpur and Pratapgarh
- BAP result
- The Bharat Adivasi Party formed no board in the three highlighted tribal districts
- BAP’s 2024 Lok Sabha result
- Rajkumar Roat won by 247,054 votes, according to the report
- Next political focus
- The BJP has begun preparing for the Panchayati Raj elections