Bharatpur mayoral poll: Gehlot alleges Independent candidate was coerced into withdrawal
Synopsis
The BJP was set to win the Bharatpur mayoral post unopposed — but the numbers tell a different story. The party holds just 20 of 65 council seats, and the Independent candidate who reportedly had a clear majority of councillors behind her withdrew after a near-two-hour meeting with a BJP minister. Congress leaders are calling it a 'murder of democracy' in the Chief Minister's own home district.
Key Takeaways
Independent candidate Vichitra Singh withdrew from the Bharatpur mayoral election on 18 September 2026 , leaving BJP's Anuradha Singh as the sole contender for unopposed election.
Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot alleged that Vichitra Singh was intimidated at her business premises and that Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham met her for nearly two hours before the withdrawal.
BJP holds only 20 of 65 councillor seats in the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation , well short of a majority.
Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra alleged the BJP 'murdered democracy' by using state and police machinery in Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma 's home district.
After withdrawing, Vichitra Singh said the decision was motivated by her desire to contribute to Bharatpur 's development.
A sharp political controversy has gripped the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation mayoral election after Independent candidate Vichitra Singh withdrew her nomination on Thursday, 18 September 2026, paving the way for BJP nominee Anuradha Singh to be elected unopposed. Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has alleged that the withdrawal was secured through intimidation, directly implicating the state administration and a ruling-party minister.
Gehlot's Allegations
In a post on X, Gehlot termed the development 'extremely unfortunate and condemnable.' He alleged that the administration had intimidated Vichitra Singh at her business premises a day before her withdrawal. He further claimed that Rajasthan Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham subsequently met her and facilitated the nomination withdrawal.
Gehlot also alleged that the BJP government and administration were deploying official machinery to tilt the mayoral outcome in the party's favour — a charge he described as setting a 'new precedent' of alleged misuse of government power under the Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma government.
The Electoral Arithmetic Behind the Row
BJP won only 20 of the 65 councillor seats in the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation, according to Gehlot — well short of a majority. He argued that despite this numerical deficit, the ruling party was attempting to install its own mayor through what he described as undemocratic means. Vichitra Singh was reportedly backed by the Congress and was said to hold a clear numerical advantage among councillors before her withdrawal.
This arithmetic made the mayoral contest significant: a BJP mayor elected despite the party controlling fewer than a third of the council seats would represent an unusual inversion of the council mandate, critics argue.
Congress President Joins the Attack
Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra also launched a direct broadside against the Bhajanlal Sharma government. In a post on X, he alleged that the BJP had 'murdered democracy' by misusing state power and police machinery in Bharatpur — notably the Chief Minister's home district. Dotasra alleged that instead of respecting the electoral mandate, Chief Minister Sharma sent a government minister to pressure the Independent candidate into withdrawing.
He demanded that the BJP government respect the democratic mandate and questioned the circumstances under which Vichitra Singh exited the race.
The Meeting That Preceded the Withdrawal
According to reports, Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham held a meeting with Vichitra Singh that lasted nearly two hours before she withdrew her nomination. Following that meeting, Bedham also reportedly met her husband, former Bharatpur Mayor Shiv Singh Bhont, in connection with the election.
After withdrawing her nomination, Vichitra Singh said she wanted to play a significant role in Bharatpur's development and had taken the decision with that objective in mind — a statement that Congress leaders have dismissed as insufficient explanation for the sudden exit.
What Happens Next
With Vichitra Singh's withdrawal, BJP candidate Anuradha Singh stands as the sole contender for the mayoral post and is set to be elected unopposed. The episode has intensified political confrontation in Rajasthan, with the Congress demanding accountability over the alleged use of administrative machinery. No official response from the BJP or the state government addressing the specific allegations had been reported at the time of publication.
Point of View
Making any perception of heavy-handed interference politically costly. The Congress, meanwhile, has found a potent local symbol to revive its narrative of BJP authoritarianism in Rajasthan. What is missing from this charged picture is any on-record response from the BJP or the state government to the specific charge of ministerial pressure — and until that appears, the allegations remain contested claims, not established facts.
NationPress
18 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Bharatpur mayoral election controversy?
Independent candidate Vichitra Singh withdrew her nomination for the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation mayoral election on 18 September 2026, leaving BJP candidate Anuradha Singh as the sole contender for an unopposed win. Congress leaders allege that Singh was coerced into withdrawing through intimidation by the state administration and a BJP minister.
What did Ashok Gehlot allege about the Bharatpur mayoral poll?
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot alleged on X that the state administration intimidated Vichitra Singh at her business premises the day before her withdrawal, and that Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham subsequently held a nearly two-hour meeting with her to facilitate the withdrawal. Gehlot termed the development 'extremely unfortunate and condemnable' and accused the BJP government of misusing official machinery.
How many seats does the BJP hold in the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation?
According to Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Govind Singh Dotasra, the BJP won only 20 of the 65 councillor seats in the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation — well short of a majority. They argue this makes the BJP's move to secure an unopposed mayoral win an inversion of the electoral mandate.
Why is Bharatpur politically significant in this context?
Bharatpur is the home district of Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, making any allegations of administrative interference there particularly sensitive. Congress leader Govind Singh Dotasra specifically highlighted this link, alleging that events unfolded in the Chief Minister's own district exactly as the party had feared.
What did Vichitra Singh say after withdrawing her nomination?
After withdrawing her nomination, Vichitra Singh stated that she wanted to play a significant role in Bharatpur's development and had made the decision with that objective in mind. The Congress has questioned this explanation given the reported meeting with a BJP minister shortly before the withdrawal.
