Jaipur, August 27: The nomination process for the upcoming local body elections in Rajasthan commenced on Thursday. These elections are the first to be held under the ‘One State, One Election’ framework.
Candidates can file nominations for 10,245 wards across 309 urban local bodies. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have yet to finalize their candidate lists. Both parties are expected to announce their tickets on August 28 or 29. Consequently, independent candidates are likely to be the first to submit their nomination papers.
Reports indicate that thousands of candidates have requested tickets for councilor positions from the two major political parties. With over 12 significant parties expected to contest, finalizing party nominations may take considerable time.
Although the official nomination period runs from August 27 to August 31, candidates can only submit their papers on three days: August 27, 29, and 31. This is due to Raksha Bandhan on August 28 and Sunday falling on August 30.
To facilitate the nomination process, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation has established 15 Returning Officer (RO) offices. The race for party tickets has intensified, with a large number of candidates gathering at the state headquarters of the BJP and Congress.
Candidates are meeting senior leaders and lobbying for tickets, while parties are meticulously reviewing their profiles, backgrounds, and electoral prospects.
The demand for hotels in Jaipur has surged due to the influx of ticket-seeking candidates and party workers from various districts, leading to high occupancy rates in several establishments.
Unlike the Lok Sabha elections, where the Election Commission of India provided home voting for eligible seniors and other voters, the Rajasthan State Election Commission has not introduced such a facility for these local body elections. As a result, elderly and ill voters must go to polling stations to cast their votes.
The state election commission has adjusted polling dates for some urban bodies due to festivals and other reasons. For instance, voting in the Pali Municipal Corporation will occur on September 11 instead of September 9 due to the Paryushan festival. Similarly, the voting date for Fatehpur Municipal Council in Sikar has been changed from September 11 to September 9, and the same adjustment applies to Bikaner Municipal Corporation.
Elections in Ajmer district’s 315 urban wards will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will include elections in Pisangan, Nasirabad, Kekri, Sarwar, Tantoti, and Sawar wards. The second phase will cover elections in Ajmer Municipal Corporation, Kishangarh Municipal Council, and Pushkar Municipal Council. Likewise, elections in seven urban local bodies in the Kherthal-Tijara district will also occur in two phases. The first phase will include Kherthal, Tijara, and Bhiwadi, while the second phase will cover Kishangarhbas, Mundawar, Kotkasim, and Tapukara.
–
Leave a Comment