Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Rajasthan civic polls see BJP-Congress nomination deadline chaos
Rajasthan is holding elections for local town and city councils.
The BJP and Congress were still deciding some candidates when the nomination deadline arrived.
The BJP announced most of its Jaipur candidates but left five wards unclear.
A disagreement also happened over who was the BJP candidate in Jaipur’s Ward 76.
Congress asked selected candidates to file their papers without publishing its full list.
This gave people who did not receive tickets little time to run independently.
Some party workers protested because they felt ticket decisions were unfair or ignored certain communities.
Voting will happen on September 9 and 11, and the votes will be counted on September 14.
The nomination deadline ended amid a last-minute rush by BJP and Congress candidates across Rajasthan.
The BJP announced candidates for 145 of Jaipur’s 150 wards, leaving five unresolved as nominations closed.
A dispute over BJP authorisation in Jaipur’s Ward 76 involved Puneet Karnawat and Kuldeep Mishra before party backing was restored to Karnawat.
Congress candidates filed nominations in Jaipur even though the party had not publicly released its complete list.
Rajasthan will elect 10,245 councillors across 309 urban local bodies on September 9 and 11, with counting on September 14.
- Who
- The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Indian National Congress, their workers, candidates and ticket aspirants are involved.
- What
- Both major parties filed or arranged nominations amid disputes and uncertainty over candidate selection for Rajasthan’s civic elections.
- When
- The nomination deadline ended on Monday, August 31; nominations could be withdrawn until September 3, with voting scheduled for September 9 and 11.
- Where
- Across Rajasthan’s 309 urban local bodies, particularly in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota and Ajmer.
- Why
- The parties were balancing winnability, organisational loyalty, caste and community representation, former councillors, new candidates, senior leaders’ recommendations, changed ward boundaries and reservation rules.
Critics of the ticket process
Party selection considerations
Grassroots representation
Critics of the ticket process
Unsuccessful aspirants and protesters said grassroots workers were being overlooked; a Congress worker alleged that Jaipur’s minority community was ignored.
Party selection considerations
The parties said through their selection process that they were weighing winnability, organisational loyalty, caste and community representation, former councillors, new faces and senior leaders’ recommendations.
Late candidate announcements
Critics of the ticket process
Critics argued that delayed lists created confusion and left unsuccessful aspirants little time to organise independent campaigns.
Party selection considerations
The parties continued discussions over disputed seats while selected candidates were asked to file nomination papers before the deadline.
Jaipur Ward 76 authorisation
Critics of the ticket process
Puneet Karnawat and Kuldeep Mishra both filed nominations while claiming BJP backing, creating uncertainty over the party’s official candidate.
Party selection considerations
Party sources said BJP state president Madan Rathore intervened and restored the election-symbol authorisation to Karnawat.
- Urban local bodies
- 309
- Councillor posts
- 10,245
- Jaipur wards
- 150
- Jaipur BJP candidates announced
- 145, with five wards unresolved
- Jaipur BJP applications
- Around 2,500 for 150 wards
- Voters
- 1.44 crore
- Polling centres
- 16,465
- Election schedule
- Voting on September 9 and 11; counting on September 14
