Jaipur Mayor election 2026: BJP's Kothari vs Congress's Mawar in direct fight
Synopsis
Jaipur's Mayoral race has crystallised into a straight BJP vs Congress fight on 25 September, but the real story is the 15 Independent councillors who hold the balance — and fresh cross-voting jitters after the Sirohi municipal result, where BJP's candidate got only five of the party's ten votes.
Key Takeaways
Jaipur Mayor election on 25 September 2026 is now a direct contest between BJP's Sunil Kothari and Congress's Sunita Mawar , after two Congress councillors withdrew nominations.
The 150-member Jaipur Municipal Corporation has 78 BJP , 57 Congress , and 15 Independent councillors; a candidate needs 76 votes to win.
The 15 Independents are considered the decisive swing factor in the Mayoral race.
Cross-voting concerns have risen after BJP's Pooja Mali received only 5 votes in Sirohi despite the party holding 10 seats .
BJP's Urmila Saini (Mahwa) and Congress's Poonam Shekhawat (Tibbi) were each elected Vice-Chairperson unopposed.
Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota are all scheduled for 25 September 2026 .
The Jaipur Municipal Corporation Mayoral election has narrowed to a direct two-way contest after Congress councillors Sunita Methi and Dashrath Atal withdrew their nominations before the 3 pm Tuesday deadline, leaving Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Sunil Kothari and Congress candidate Sunita Mawar as the only contenders. Voting is scheduled for 25 September 2026, when all 150 councillors of the corporation will cast their ballots.
The Numbers That Will Decide the Race
The Jaipur Municipal Corporation comprises 150 councillors — 78 from the BJP, 57 from the Congress, and 15 Independents. A candidate requires 76 votes to secure a majority. With BJP holding a numerical edge, Sunil Kothari enters the contest as the frontrunner, but the bloc of 15 Independent councillors is widely seen as the decisive swing factor. Neither party can afford to lose a single vote from its own ranks.
Cross-Voting Fears After Sirohi Result
Political anxieties over cross-voting have intensified following the Sirohi Municipal Council Chairperson election, where BJP's official candidate Pooja Mali received only five votes despite the party reportedly holding 10 seats in the council. The shortfall has fuelled speculation that some BJP councillors may have voted against the party line. Notably, five BJP councillors had visited Saraneshwar Mahadev Temple before the vote and pledged support for the party candidate, making the result all the more pointed. However, the election was conducted by secret ballot and no specific councillor has been officially identified as having cross-voted.
Key Developments Across Rajasthan Municipal Bodies
Voting for Deputy Mayor and Deputy Chairperson posts is simultaneously underway across several municipal bodies in Rajasthan. BJP's Urmila Saini was declared elected unopposed as Vice-Chairperson of Mahwa Municipality in Dausa district after Congress candidate Rambabu Saini withdrew. Earlier, Vineet Bansal had also been elected unopposed as Chairperson of the same municipality, prompting the BJP to celebrate a clean sweep at Mahwa.
In Hanumangarh district, Congress-backed Poonam Shekhawat was elected Vice-Chairperson of Tibbi Municipality unopposed after the second candidate withdrew. This follows Congress's Devi Lal winning the Chairperson post there by a margin of four votes a day earlier.
In Jaisalmer, a politically distinctive contest is shaping up for Deputy Chairperson of the Municipal Council: BJP-backed Madhubala Devisingh Chauhan and Congress-backed Premlata Chauhan — who are reportedly sisters-in-law — are the two remaining candidates after a third withdrew. The 45-member Jaisalmer Municipal Council has 25 BJP councillors, 16 from Congress, and four Independents. Voting is scheduled from 2:30 pm to 5 pm, followed by counting. In Kishangarh, Ajmer district, voting for Deputy Chairperson of the Municipal Council is underway at Swami Vivekananda Hall under Returning Officer Anil Kumar Chaudhary, with BJP's Manendra Singh Khangarot in the fray.
What Happens on 25 September
The Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota Municipal Corporation elections for Mayor and Deputy Mayor are all scheduled for 25 September. For Jaipur specifically, the spotlight will fall on how the 15 Independent councillors align and whether either party faces internal dissent on the lines seen in Sirohi. The result will serve as an early political temperature check for both parties ahead of any future electoral contests in Rajasthan.
Point of View
But the more telling data point may come from the margins, not the result itself. BJP holds a comfortable councillor majority on paper, yet the Sirohi anomaly — where the party's own candidate got barely half the votes the party nominally commands — signals that internal cohesion cannot be assumed. The 15 Independents are a wildcard, but BJP's real vulnerability is the growing pattern of councillors who take the pledge at a temple and then exercise a different choice in the booth. If that pattern repeats in Jaipur, the headline result could mask a deeper party-management problem that neither side is publicly acknowledging.
NationPress
22 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Jaipur Mayor election 2026?
The Jaipur Municipal Corporation Mayoral election is scheduled for 25 September 2026, when all 150 councillors will vote. Counting will follow the same day.
Who are the candidates for Jaipur Mayor?
The two candidates are BJP's Sunil Kothari and Congress's Sunita Mawar. Two other Congress councillors — Sunita Methi and Dashrath Atal — withdrew their nominations before the 3 pm deadline on Tuesday.
How many votes does a candidate need to win the Jaipur Mayor election?
A candidate needs 76 votes to secure a majority in the 150-member Jaipur Municipal Corporation. BJP holds 78 seats, Congress 57, and there are 15 Independents.
Why are the Independent councillors significant in the Jaipur Mayoral race?
With BJP holding 78 of the 150 seats, it is nominally two seats above the 76-vote majority needed. However, concerns about cross-voting — heightened by the Sirohi municipal result — mean neither party can take bloc loyalty for granted. The 15 Independents could therefore prove decisive if even a few BJP councillors defect.
What happened in the Sirohi Municipal Council election that sparked cross-voting concerns?
In the Sirohi Municipal Council Chairperson election, BJP's official candidate Pooja Mali received only five votes despite the party reportedly holding 10 seats in the council. The discrepancy, in a secret ballot, has prompted speculation about internal dissent within BJP's councillor ranks, though no individual has been officially identified as having cross-voted.
