Rajasthan civic poll results: BJP wins Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur, Bhilwara; Congress takes Bikaner
Synopsis
Rajasthan's 10-city civic poll verdict is a split mandate: BJP claims four major corporations — Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur and Bhilwara — but Jodhpur is deadlocked at 44-44, handing Independents the power to make or break the BJP's sweep. Gehlot has already alleged police pressure on Independents, signalling a fierce post-poll battle for Mayoral posts.
Key Takeaways
BJP secured majorities in Jaipur , Udaipur , Bhilwara , and Kota ; Congress won a clear majority in Bikaner .
In Jodhpur , both BJP and Congress won 44 seats each; Independent councillors will likely decide the Mayor's post.
Congress candidate Gazanfar Ali won Ward 113 in Jaipur by a record margin of 10,014 votes — the state's biggest individual victory.
Former Jaipur Mayor Jyoti Khandelwal and former state BJP spokesperson Vimal Katiyar both lost their respective wards.
Re-polling ordered at 5 booths in Jaipur after EVM malfunctions; results for 4 Jaipur wards and 1 Jodhpur ward withheld.
Former CM Ashok Gehlot alleged BJP is using police pressure to poach Independent and Congress councillors in Jodhpur and Alwar .
Results of elections to 10 municipal corporations in Rajasthan were declared on Monday, 14 September 2026, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing clear majorities in Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhilwara, and Kota, while the Indian National Congress won a decisive mandate in Bikaner. The outcome sets the stage for BJP to appoint Mayors in four cities, even as Jodhpur hangs in the balance with both parties tied at 44 seats each.
City-by-City Breakdown
In Jodhpur Municipal Corporation, results for 99 of 100 wards have been declared. Congress and BJP each secured 44 seats, with Independents winning 10 and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) taking one. Independent councillors are now widely expected to play a decisive role in determining who claims the Mayor's post there.
In Alwar, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party but fell short of a majority. Congress was the largest party in both Pali and Ajmer, while Independents emerged as the largest group in Bharatpur. Across four cities — Pali, Ajmer, Bharatpur, and Jodhpur — Independent candidates are set to play a crucial role in board formation.
Results for four wards in Jaipur and one ward in Jodhpur have been withheld pending re-polling. In Jaipur, re-polling has been ordered at five booths — Booth 111 (Ward 9), Booth 235 (Ward 18), Booth 343 (Ward 25), and Booths 477 and 484 (Ward 34) — following technical malfunctions in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Notable Ward Results in Jaipur
Congress candidate Gazanfar Ali registered Rajasthan's biggest individual victory, winning Ward 113 in Jaipur by a margin of 10,014 votes. In the high-profile Ward 112, however, BJP candidate Sunil Kothari won, defeating former Jaipur Mayor and BJP figure Jyoti Khandelwal, who had contested from the same ward and lost.
Former state BJP spokesperson Vimal Katiyar also suffered defeat, losing Ward 35 by 1,461 votes. Congress city district president Omkar Verma lost Ward 42 by a narrow margin of 279 votes. On the other side, BJP candidate Nikita defeated former Congress Mayor Kunti Deora in Ward 99.
Among the winners was 21-year-old Congress candidate Saraswati Prajapat, who won Ward 51. National-level football player and BJP candidate Vikas Raghwani won from Ward 28. Hitanshi Sharma, daughter-in-law of the brother of former Union Minister Girija Vyas, won from Ward 73. Poonam Kunwar, wife of Udaipur city Congress president Fateh Singh Rathore, won from Ward 17 in Udaipur. Atul Chandaliya and Akash Vagrecha, brothers of the sons-in-law of Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, won from Ward 78 and Ward 5, respectively.
What the Political Leaders Said
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma described the results as an endorsement of the state government's work over the past two-and-a-half years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, dedicating the victory to BJP workers and the people of Rajasthan. State BJP President Madan Rathore claimed the party received 'two-and-a-half to three times more support than last time' and said BJP had achieved '90 per cent success' in the municipal corporations. Both leaders celebrated with party workers at the state BJP office.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, however, levelled serious allegations. In a post on social media platform X, Gehlot said the BJP — 'rattled by its defeat in the urban body elections' — was allegedly attempting to influence Independent and Congress councillors in Jodhpur and Alwar to secure Mayoral posts, and was allegedly misusing the police to do so. The BJP has not publicly responded to these specific allegations.
Broader Urban Body Results and What Comes Next
Beyond the 10 municipal corporations, results for Rajasthan's 47 municipal councils and 252 municipalities were also declared on Monday. These outcomes will shape the political balance across the state's urban local bodies, with contests for Chairpersons and Presidents to follow. In cities where no single party holds a majority, negotiation with Independents is expected to be intense in the days ahead, making the next few weeks critical for both BJP and Congress in Rajasthan.
Point of View
They could overshadow the BJP's majority wins and become a governance credibility issue. Historically, Rajasthan's civic polls have been a leading indicator of state-level sentiment; a BJP narrative of '90 per cent success' sits awkwardly against a fractured mandate in several large cities.
NationPress
14 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which parties won the Rajasthan municipal corporation elections in 2026?
The BJP won majorities in Jaipur, Udaipur, Bhilwara and Kota, while Congress won a clear majority in Bikaner. In Jodhpur, both parties are tied at 44 seats each, with Independents set to play a decisive role in other cities like Ajmer, Pali and Bharatpur.
What happened in Jodhpur's civic poll result?
In Jodhpur Municipal Corporation, both BJP and Congress won 44 seats each out of 99 declared results, with Independents holding 10 seats and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) one. The result for one ward is pending a re-poll, and Independent councillors are widely expected to determine who becomes Mayor.
Why have some ward results in Jaipur been withheld?
Results for four wards in Jaipur have been withheld because re-polling is required at five booths where EVM technical malfunctions prevented votes from being counted. The affected booths are in Wards 9, 18, 25 and 34, and final results will be declared after the re-poll.
What did former CM Ashok Gehlot allege after the results?
Gehlot alleged on social media platform X that the BJP, 'rattled by its defeat in the urban body elections', was attempting to influence Independent and Congress councillors in Jodhpur and Alwar to secure Mayoral posts, and was allegedly misusing the police to do so.
Who registered the biggest individual win in the Rajasthan civic polls?
Congress candidate Gazanfar Ali registered Rajasthan's largest individual victory, winning Ward 113 in Jaipur by a margin of 10,014 votes. At 21 years old, Congress candidate Saraswati Prajapat's win in Ward 51 was also among the notable results of the election.
