BJP's Prasannchand Mehta elected Jodhpur Mayor by 53 votes in tight race
Synopsis
The BJP's Prasannchand Mehta won the Jodhpur Mayor's post by just two votes above the majority mark, a razor-thin margin that exposes how fragile the coalition of independents really was. Congress has cried foul over ballot secrecy and alleged stone-pelting on its councillors' bus — grievances that could head to court and cast a shadow over the new Mayor's mandate.
Key Takeaways
Prasannchand Mehta (BJP) elected Jodhpur Mayor on 25 September 2026 with 53 votes .
Congress candidate Rajendra Solanki received 47 votes ; majority mark was 51 .
BJP's win was backed by seven independent councillors , raising its bloc from 45 to 52 before the vote.
Congress councillor Naresh Joshi alleged ballot secrecy was compromised via serial numbers on ballot papers; allegation unverified.
Congress leader Karan Singh Uchiyarda alleged BJP workers blocked and pelted stones at a bus carrying Congress councillors.
Mehta, a Ward 82 councillor with an RSS background, cited road improvement as his first priority.
Prasannchand Mehta of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was elected Mayor of the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation on 25 September 2026, securing 53 votes in a closely contested mayoral poll to pip Congress candidate Rajendra Solanki, who received 47 votes. Mehta crossed the majority mark of 51 votes in the 100-member corporation by just two votes, capping a high-stakes municipal contest in Rajasthan's second-largest city.
How the Numbers Played Out
The Jodhpur Municipal Corporation has 100 seats, with the majority threshold set at 51 votes. Initial election results had given BJP 45 seats, Congress 44, Independents 10, and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) 1. Ahead of Thursday's mayoral vote, the BJP claimed the backing of seven independent councillors, lifting its combined tally to 52 — one above the majority mark. The final tally of 53 votes for Mehta confirmed that at least one additional councillor voted with the BJP bloc on the day.
Who Is Prasannchand Mehta
Mehta is the BJP councillor from Ward 82, where he won his seat with 3,270 votes, defeating his Congress rival by a margin of 486 votes. He carries a strong Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background and has held several senior organisational positions within the BJP, including district president and state vice-president. He is also reportedly close to former Rajasthan Assembly Speaker and Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria.
Following his victory, Mehta told reporters that improving Jodhpur's roads would be among his immediate priorities, adding that the win had come just ahead of Diwali — a symbolically significant timing for the party. BJP district president Rajendra Paliwal became visibly emotional; when Jodhpur City MLA Atul Bhansali arrived at the venue, Paliwal embraced him and lifted him in celebration.
Congress Allegations: Ballot Secrecy and Stone-Pelting
Congress councillor Naresh Joshi alleged that the secrecy of voting was compromised through serial numbers marked on ballot papers, which he claimed could reveal how individual councillors had voted. He said he had received this information earlier on the morning of the election. No independent verification of the allegation was immediately available, and the charge was made during the voting process itself.
Separately, Congress leader Karan Singh Uchiyarda alleged that BJP workers obstructed a bus carrying Congress councillors on their way to vote, blocking the vehicle and raising slogans. He further claimed that stones were thrown when the bus attempted to move, describing the incident as an administrative failure. The BJP had not publicly responded to these specific allegations at the time of reporting.
What Comes Next for Jodhpur
With Mehta now at the helm of the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation, the BJP consolidates its hold on urban local bodies in Rajasthan, where the party already governs the state. Road infrastructure has been flagged as an early priority, and the new Mayor's RSS-aligned organisational background suggests close coordination with the state government. Congress's narrow loss — a margin of just six votes — and its formal allegations over ballot integrity could set the stage for a legal challenge in the coming days.
Point of View
And one that leaves the new Mayor structurally dependent on figures who have no party loyalty to honour. Congress's ballot-secrecy allegation, however unverified, is precisely the kind of charge that festers: if serial numbers on ballot papers can be traced to individual councillors, it is a structural flaw in the process that the municipal administration must answer for, not just deny. The stone-pelting allegation adds a law-and-order dimension to what was already a contentious poll. Rajasthan's BJP state government now controls both the state and Jodhpur's civic body — but the slim margin means urban governance in Jodhpur could remain fractious.
NationPress
25 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Jodhpur Mayor election 2026?
BJP candidate Prasannchand Mehta won the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation mayoral election on 25 September 2026, securing 53 votes in a 100-member house. Congress candidate Rajendra Solanki received 47 votes, falling short of the majority mark of 51.
What was the majority mark in the Jodhpur mayoral election?
The majority mark in the 100-member Jodhpur Municipal Corporation was 51 votes. Mehta crossed this threshold by two votes, winning with 53 votes.
Why did the BJP win despite having only 45 seats initially?
Following the initial council election results — BJP 45, Congress 44, Independents 10, RLP 1 — the BJP claimed the support of seven independent councillors, lifting its combined strength to 52. The final mayoral vote of 53 for Mehta confirmed at least one additional vote from outside the declared bloc.
What allegations did Congress make during the Jodhpur mayoral vote?
Congress councillor Naresh Joshi alleged that serial numbers on ballot papers could compromise voter secrecy and reveal how individual councillors voted. Separately, Congress leader Karan Singh Uchiyarda alleged that BJP workers blocked and pelted stones at a bus carrying Congress councillors. No independent verification of either allegation was immediately available.
Who is Prasannchand Mehta, the new Jodhpur Mayor?
Prasannchand Mehta is the BJP councillor from Ward 82 of the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation. He has an RSS background and has served as BJP district president and state vice-president. He is reportedly close to former Rajasthan Assembly Speaker and Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria.
