Rajasthan local polls: BJP edges Cong by 0.94% votes

Discover how the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a narrow victory against the Congress in the recent Rajasthan urban local body elections, with independent candidates and NOTA making a notable impact on the results.

Key Points

- The BJP secured a narrow victory over the Congress in the Rajasthan urban local body elections, winning by a margin of 0.94 per cent.

- Independent candidates garnered a substantial 27.38 per cent of the total votes, emerging as significant players.

- The 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option received 1.03 per cent of votes, surpassing several regional and national parties like RLP and AAP.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the BJP's success, highlighting public support for the party's "double-engine" government policies.

- In the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, BJP won 78 out of 146 declared wards, with Congress securing 53 and independents 15.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has narrowly defeated the Congress party by a margin of less than one percentage point in the recently concluded Rajasthan urban local body elections.

Out of the total votes polled across 309 civic bodies, the BJP secured 35.18 per cent (37,35,567 votes) compared to Congress's 34.24 per cent (36,35,952 votes), yielding a razor-thin winning margin of just 0.94 per cent (99,615 votes).

Independent Candidates Emerge as Key Players

Meanwhile, Independent candidates secured a substantial share, securing a total of 27.38 per cent (29,06,787 votes), while the 'None of the Above' (NOTA) option secured 1.03 per cent (1,09,523 votes), outperforming several smaller parties.

Among the remaining contenders, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) secured 0.94 per cent (1,00,277 votes), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to get 0.46 per cent (49,829 votes), the Communist Party of India-Marxist secured 0.32 per cent (34,170 votes), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) obtained 0.28 per cent (30,179 votes), and the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) recorded 0.13 per cent (14,150 votes).

NOTA polled higher than five regional and national parties, including the RLP and the AAP, largely driven by local public protests against new UGC regulations.

BJP's Resounding Victory in Jaipur

Notably, the Bharatiya Janata Party secured a resounding victory in the Rajasthan urban local body elections, winning the Jaipur Municipal Corporation board with 78 seats, while independent candidates have emerged as key players in several other civic bodies where no party has secured a clear majority.

Prime Minister Modi Hails Election Results

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the BJP's performance in the elections, saying the mandate reflected people's support for the party's policies of good governance and development under the 'double-engine' government.

Taking to X, PM Modi thanked the people of Rajasthan for the BJP's victory and said, "Heartfelt thanks to the people of Rajasthan for delivering a resounding victory to the BJP in the municipal elections. This is a testament to the triumph of truth over the echo of lies."

"Through this mandate, my family here has once again made it clear that they fully support the policies of good governance and development under the double-engine government. This will not only propel the state to new heights of progress but also strengthen our resolve to bring prosperity to the lives of every individual. On this occasion, my heartiest congratulations to all the victorious candidates as well as the party's dedicated and hardworking workers," he added.

Jaipur Municipal Corporation Ward Results

Out of the 150 wards in the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, results for 146 wards have been declared so far. The BJP has won 78 wards, while the Congress has secured 53 seats and independent candidates have won 15 wards.

The final picture in the four remaining wards will be clear after re-polling at five booths due to technical issues with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Jaipur District Collector Sandesh Nayak said the EVM results could not be retrieved from booths in Ward 9 (Booth No. 111), Ward 18 (Booth No. 235), Ward 25 (Booth No. 343), and Ward 34 (Booth Nos. 477 and 484).

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