Jodhpur, September 11 (Daily Kiran) : A political controversy emerged in Jodhpur during the 2026 municipal elections when a video surfaced showing a man touching the feet of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot at a polling station. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed the individual was a government polling officer. However, an investigation by the Jodhpur District Election Officer revealed that he was not an election official.
According to the investigation report, three individuals were seen touching Gehlot’s feet at the polling station, and none of them were government employees on election duty. Gehlot arrived at the Vardhmaan Jain School polling station in the Mahamandir area to cast his vote, accompanied by his wife, Sunita Gehlot, son Vaibhav, and daughter-in-law Himanshi. As they exited the polling station after voting, a video of the incident circulated on social media, igniting political debate.
The investigation, which included a review of CCTV footage and reports from sector officers, identified the three individuals involved. It was determined that one person, a voter, approached Gehlot after he had cast his vote, touched his feet, and sought blessings. The second individual who touched Gehlot’s feet was an election agent for independent candidate Prakash Bagoria, who was present at the booth. Bagoria’s chief election agent also approached Gehlot to show respect.
Following the incident, the BJP’s legal cell alleged that a government employee on election duty had displayed favoritism towards a senior political figure. They argued that such actions could compromise the integrity of the electoral process and called for disciplinary measures against the alleged polling officer.
In response to the complaints, the Jodhpur District Election Officer ordered an investigation. Officials examined the sector officer’s report and the polling station’s video footage. The findings confirmed that no member of the polling team had left their post to engage in the incident, and no government employees were involved.
Among the three identified individuals were one regular voter and two authorized agents linked to independent candidate Prakash Bagoria. Congress leaders in Jodhpur defended Gehlot, stating that he has long enjoyed the support and respect of the people in the region. They characterized the incident as a symbol of respect and accused the BJP of politicizing the event.
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