Archive · 14 Sep 2026
BJP Leads Rajasthan Civic Polls, Congress Wins Bikaner
Rajasthan held elections for many city councils and municipal corporations.
The BJP won enough seats to lead in Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhilwara and Kota.
Congress won clearly in Bikaner.
In Jodhpur, Congress and the BJP were tied with 44 seats each among the declared results.
Independent councillors may therefore decide who becomes mayor in some cities.
Some votes in Jaipur and Jodhpur could not be counted because of technical problems and will be re-polled.
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said the BJP was trying to pressure councillors, but the BJP denied wrongdoing and celebrated the results as support for its work.
The final balance will become clearer after the re-polls and mayoral contests.
The BJP secured majorities in Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhilwara and Kota municipal corporations.
Congress won a clear majority in Bikaner, while independents could determine boards elsewhere.
Congress and BJP each won 44 declared seats in Jodhpur, leaving independents decisive.
Results in five Jaipur booths and one Jodhpur ward await re-polling.
Ashok Gehlot alleged pressure on councillors, while BJP leaders called the results an endorsement of government work.
- Who
- The Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, independent candidates and other local candidates contested the Rajasthan civic elections.
- What
- Results were declared for municipal corporations, municipal councils and municipalities, determining control of urban local bodies and upcoming mayoral and chairperson elections.
- When
- Results were declared on Monday; re-polling will be held after technical problems affected several booths.
- Where
- Across Rajasthan, including Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Kota, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Pali, Ajmer, Bharatpur and Alwar.
- Why
- The results will determine the political balance in Rajasthan’s urban local bodies and the selection of mayors, chairpersons and presidents.
Congress and Opposition Claims
BJP and Government Position
Meaning of the results
Congress and Opposition Claims
Congress highlighted victories and strong positions in places including Bikaner, Pali and Ajmer, while its leaders challenged the BJP’s interpretation of the overall outcome.
BJP and Government Position
BJP leaders described the results as public approval of the state government’s development work and claimed about 90 percent success in municipal corporations.
Influence over councillors
Congress and Opposition Claims
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot alleged that the BJP government was using police pressure to influence Congress and independent councillors in Jodhpur and Alwar.
BJP and Government Position
BJP leaders celebrated the results and presented them as a mandate for the government; the article does not report a specific BJP response to Gehlot’s police-pressure allegation.
Who will control close councils
Congress and Opposition Claims
Congress emerged as the largest party in Pali and Ajmer and tied the BJP in Jodhpur, where independents may affect the mayoral outcome.
BJP and Government Position
The BJP was the single-largest party in Alwar and secured clear majorities in four major corporations, positioning it to appoint mayors there.
- BJP majorities
- Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhilwara and Kota
- Congress majority
- Bikaner
- Jodhpur declared results
- Congress and BJP won 44 seats each; independents won 10 and the RLP won one
- Pending results
- Four Jaipur wards and one Jodhpur ward were affected by withheld results or re-polling
- Jaipur’s biggest victory
- Congress candidate Gazanfar Ali won Ward 113 by 10,014 votes
- Wider results
- Results were also declared for 47 municipal councils and 252 municipalities
- Next contests
- Mayoral, chairperson and president elections will follow