BJP wins 197 Rajasthan civic body posts, Congress bags 94 in mayoral sweep
Synopsis
BJP has stormed through Rajasthan's urban local body elections, winning 197 of 301 declared posts and six of seven mayoral contests — while Congress lost Ajmer and Pali despite holding more councillors, pointing to significant cross-voting. The even bigger contest, Jaipur's mayoral race, is still to come on 25 September.
Key Takeaways
BJP won 197 of 301 declared civic body posts in Rajasthan on 21 September 2026 .
Congress secured 94 posts; independents won 7 ; AAP , CPM , and RLP won one post each .
BJP swept six of seven municipal corporation mayoral races; Congress retained only Bikaner through candidate Anil Kalla .
In Ajmer and Pali , Congress held more councillor seats but lost the mayoralty, suggesting large-scale cross-voting.
Congress candidate Nisha Nainwal defeated Education Minister Madan Dilawar 's brother in Atru , Baran, by three votes .
Mayoral elections in Jaipur and two other corporations are scheduled for 25 September 2026 .
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates have stormed to victory in 197 of the 301 civic body contests whose results were declared in Rajasthan on 21 September 2026, cementing the party's dominance across the state's urban local bodies. Indian National Congress (Congress) secured 94 posts, while independents won seven, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) claimed one post each.
BJP sweeps six of seven municipal corporations
The BJP secured the mayoral post in six of the seven municipal corporations whose results have been declared. Paras Singhvi won the mayoral contest in Udaipur, while Sumanlata Agarwal emerged victorious in Alwar, polling 42 votes against Congress candidate Kamlesh Sharma's 23 votes. Congress managed to hold only Bikaner, where Anil Kalla — nephew of former minister BD Kalla — was elected mayor.
Shock results in Ajmer and Pali
Among the most closely watched contests were Ajmer and Pali, where Congress had appeared to hold a numerical edge based on its councillor tally. In Ajmer, BJP's Anamika Sharma was elected mayor with 43 votes even though the BJP had won only 32 councillor seats in the corporation — a clear signal of cross-voting. In Pali, BJP candidate Namita Bubakia won with 33 votes despite the Congress holding 29 councillor seats to the BJP's 21; Congress candidate Sumitra Jain received just three votes, pointing to a significant defection within the Congress camp.
Notable upsets: Dilawar's brother loses, AAP makes surprise entry
A striking result emerged from the Atru municipality in Baran, where Congress candidate Nisha Nainwal defeated Krishna Murari Dilawar — brother of state Education Minister Madan Dilawar — by a margin of just three votes in the chairperson election. The result was a rare setback for a sitting minister's family in an otherwise strong BJP outing. Meanwhile, AAP's surprise win of one chairperson post signals a tentative foothold for the party in Rajasthan's urban politics, a state where it had previously struggled to make inroads.
What comes next: September 25 elections
The political picture in Rajasthan's urban local bodies is not yet complete. Mayoral contests in three municipal corporations — including the key prize of Jaipur — along with one municipality, are scheduled for 25 September 2026. It is also worth noting that elections in 32 civic bodies, including the Bhilwara and Bharatpur municipal corporations, were decided unopposed at an earlier stage. The outcome on 25 September, particularly in Jaipur, will determine the final shape of the BJP's urban mandate in the state.
Point of View
Implying that cross-voting was not incidental but systemic. That points either to a serious breakdown in party discipline or to inducements the party will struggle to address publicly. The BJP's sweep is impressive, but winning six of seven declared mayoral contests while the opposition bleeds votes from its own councillors overstates the scale of organic BJP support — it also reflects Congress's organisational atrophy in Rajasthan's urban belt. With Jaipur still to vote on 25 September, the true headline number is yet to be written.
NationPress
21 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many civic body posts has BJP won in Rajasthan so far?
BJP has won 197 of the 301 civic body posts whose results were declared on 21 September 2026 in Rajasthan, including six of seven mayoral contests in municipal corporations. The final tally will be known after the 25 September elections in Jaipur and two other corporations.
Which municipal corporation did Congress retain in Rajasthan?
Congress retained the mayoral post only in Bikaner , where Anil Kalla — nephew of former minister BD Kalla — was elected mayor. The party lost all other declared mayoral contests, including Ajmer and Pali where it had held more councillor seats.
Why did Congress lose in Ajmer and Pali despite having more councillors?
In both Ajmer and Pali, Congress held a numerical advantage in councillor seats but received far fewer votes than expected in the mayoral indirect election, suggesting large-scale cross-voting by Congress councillors. BJP's Anamika Sharma won Ajmer with 43 votes despite BJP holding only 32 seats, and Namita Bubakia won Pali with 33 votes even though Congress had 29 councillors.
When will the Jaipur mayoral election result be declared?
The mayoral election for Jaipur — along with two other municipal corporations and one municipality — is scheduled for 25 September 2026 . Jaipur is the most significant remaining contest and will shape the overall political narrative of Rajasthan's urban local body elections.
What is significant about AAP winning a civic body post in Rajasthan?
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won one civic body chairperson post in Rajasthan, marking a surprise entry for a party that has historically struggled to make inroads in the state. While a single post is modest, it signals AAP's attempt to build an urban local-body foothold ahead of future assembly contests.
