BJP wins majority in Rajasthan urban local body elections

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a significant victory in the Rajasthan urban local body elections, winning a majority in approximately 200 of the 309 bodies for which results have been declared. The BJP has also dominated mayoral contests, winning seats in Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur, Alwar, Bharatpur, and Bhilwara. In Ajmer and Pali, the BJP secured mayoral posts despite the Indian National Congress emerging as the largest party in terms of ward counts, largely due to support from independent councillors.

The Congress party has seen a diminished presence, winning 94 bodies and managing to retain the mayoralty in Bikaner. In some areas, the BJP made notable gains in Muslim-majority wards, a shift attributed by analysts to recent delimitation efforts.

The election process has faced various disruptions, including the postponement of the Khatushyamji Municipality chairperson election after a Congress candidate went missing, and allegations from Congress leaders regarding the detention of councillors in Haryana. Additionally, the Rajasthan High Court provided interim protection from arrest to several councillors facing legal issues just before the polls.