Rajasthan announces schedule for urban local body elections

The Rajasthan State Election Commission has announced the schedule for urban local body elections across 309 municipal entities, including 10 municipal corporations, 51 municipal councils, and 248 municipalities. The elections will be conducted in two phases, with voting scheduled for September 9 and September 11. Counting of votes and the announcement of results will take place on September 14.

A total of 10,245 councillor positions are up for election, involving approximately 1.44 crore voters. Following the councillor elections, the voting for mayors, chairpersons, and municipal presidents will be held on September 21, with vice-presidential elections on September 22. To manage the process, approximately 1.15 million employees and 98,790 police personnel will be deployed.

The announcement has triggered the immediate implementation of the model code of conduct across all 309 urban bodies. This prohibits the inauguration of new development projects, the issuance of new work orders, and new government announcements until the election process is complete. These elections follow directives from the Rajasthan High Court, which had expressed concern over delays and ordered the process to be completed by November 15.