Voting Underway for Mayor Positions in Rajasthans Major Municipalities
Voting is taking place for mayoral positions in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota, with results expected later today.
Jaipur, September 25 (Daily Kiran) : Voting is currently underway for mayoral positions in three major municipalities of Rajasthan: Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota. The polling started at 10:00 AM and will continue until 2:00 PM, after which the counting of votes will commence. Additionally, elections for the chairperson position in the Suket municipality of Kota district are also being held today.
The results for the previously halted elections in the Shri Vijaynagar municipality of Sri Ganganagar district are set to be announced today. Elections for deputy mayor positions in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota are scheduled for Saturday. With these elections, the electoral process will be completed in 308 of Rajasthan’s 309 municipal bodies, provided there are no pending legal proceedings.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds a majority in both Jaipur and Kota municipal corporations. The party is focused on ensuring that its candidates secure the mayoral positions without any internal cross-voting. In Jaipur, the BJP has a significant number of corporators, while Kota also has enough support to elect its mayor candidate.
However, the race for the mayoral position in Jodhpur is competitive, with neither the BJP nor the Congress holding a clear majority. Consequently, independent corporators could play a decisive role in determining the outcome. The mayoral elections are being closely watched as the final phase of the Rajasthan municipal elections.
In Khatu Shyamji municipality, the election process has been stalled due to ongoing proceedings in the Rajasthan High Court. Returning Officer Kapil Upadhyay stated that a certified copy of the High Court’s order has not yet been received, leading to the postponement of the chairperson election scheduled for today and the vice-chairperson election set for tomorrow. The High Court has imposed a stay on the proposed re-voting process for the chairperson position, affecting the timely voting for corporator positions as well.
Vote counting for the chairperson position in the Shri Vijaynagar municipality will begin at 11:00 AM today. The counting had previously been halted following allegations of the kidnapping of a corporator. A hearing on this matter is scheduled in the High Court for September 28.
Returning Officer and Sub-Divisional Officer Sakshi Puri indicated that counting will proceed once instructions are received from the State Election Commission. The outcomes may be influenced by the ongoing High Court proceedings. Results have already been declared for seven of Rajasthan’s ten municipal corporations, with the BJP winning six and the Congress securing one seat.
