Rajasthan civic polls repolling at 10 booths; BJP-Congress workers clash in Kota
Synopsis
Rajasthan's urban local body elections hit a fresh snag: EVM display failures at 10 booths forced the State Election Commission to call a repolling, with mayor and chairperson results now on hold until 17 September. The already fraught process turned violent in Kota, where BJP and Congress workers clashed outside a polling station in a ward with a razor-thin contest.
Key Takeaways
Repolling is underway on 16 September at 10 booths in Jaipur , Jodhpur , Kota , and Suket following EVM failures on 14 September .
BJP and Congress workers reportedly clashed outside a polling station in Ward No.
87, Kota Municipal Corporation ; police deployed additional security and restored order.
The State Election Commission ordered the revote after confirming that undisplayed vote counts exceeded the winning margin at each affected booth.
Voting runs until 6:00 pm on Wednesday; fresh counting begins at 8:00 am on 17 September .
Results for the posts of Mayor in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota, and Chairperson in Suket, are on hold until the repolling count is completed.
Voters are being marked with indelible ink on the middle finger of the left hand ; original polling ink marks are being disregarded for eligibility.
Repolling is underway on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, at 10 voting booths spread across Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, and Suket in Rajasthan's urban local body elections, after Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) technical failures prevented vote counts from being displayed at these booths during the counting process on 14 September. The State Election Commission ordered the fresh poll after determining that the number of undisplayed votes exceeded the victory margin in each affected ward, making it impossible to declare results without a revote.
Violence in Kota: Workers Clash at Ward 87
A tense confrontation broke out during repolling at Ward No. 87 of the Kota Municipal Corporation, where supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (Congress) allegedly clashed outside the polling station. According to reports, the dispute escalated into a physical scuffle, with workers from both sides reportedly exchanging kicks and punches.
The ward is witnessing a direct contest between BJP candidate Pushpa Chaudhary and Congress candidate Lakshmi Sharma. The closeness of the race has reportedly heightened tensions among supporters. Police and administrative officials responded promptly, deployed additional security personnel, dispersed the workers involved, and reinforced security arrangements to allow voting to continue without further disruption.
Why the State Election Commission Ordered Repolling
During the counting phase on 14 September, returning officers at select booths found that certain EVMs failed to display stored vote totals. District election officers' reports confirmed the malfunction. Crucially, the State Election Commission found that the volume of votes affected by the display failure was larger than the margin separating the leading candidates at those booths — meaning the original count could not determine a winner. Fresh polling was the only legally tenable remedy.
New EVMs, fresh ballot papers, and tendered ballot papers were prepared and dispatched to all affected stations. Previously used machines were sealed under administrative supervision. Voters were informed through public announcements and drumbeats; candidates and their election agents received written intimation.
Booth-by-Booth Breakdown
The 10 repolling booths are distributed as follows: in the Jaipur Municipal Corporation — Booth No. 111 (Ward 09), Booth No. 235 (Ward 18), Booth No. 343 (Ward 25), and Booth Nos. 477 and 484 (Ward 34); in the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation — Booth No. 338 (Ward 50); in the Kota Municipal Corporation — Booth No. 99 (Ward 87), Booth No. 448 (Ward 44), and Booth No. 576 (Ward 11); and in Suket Municipality, Kota — Booth No. 05 (Ward 04).
Special Voting Norms and Indelible Ink Protocol
The Commission issued specific instructions for the repolling exercise. The indelible ink mark applied during the original poll on 14 September is being disregarded for eligibility purposes. Voters participating in Wednesday's repolling are being freshly marked with indelible ink on the middle finger of the left hand, applied visibly from the nail to the first joint. Only voters whose names appear on the original electoral roll for the respective booth are permitted to vote.
What Happens Next
Voting will continue until 6:00 pm on Wednesday, after which EVMs will be sealed and moved to secure strongrooms. Counting of votes from the repolling begins at 8:00 am on Thursday, 17 September, following which results for the pending wards will be declared. Until then, the election processes for the posts of Mayor in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota, and Chairperson in Suket, remain suspended. The outcome of the affected wards is being closely tracked by candidates and supporters of the BJP, Congress, and Independents alike.
Point of View
Yet rarely receive matching security attention. The Commission's decision to base its repolling order on a margin-versus-undisplayed-votes calculus is legally sound, but the absence of any public explanation of why the machines failed in the first place leaves room for competing narratives. Transparent post-mortem disclosure — not just a revote order — is what rebuilds institutional trust.
NationPress
16 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is repolling being held at 10 booths in Rajasthan?
The State Election Commission ordered repolling after EVMs at these 10 booths failed to display vote counts when returning officers attempted to retrieve results during counting on 14 September. The Commission found that the number of votes that could not be displayed exceeded the victory margin between the leading candidates at each affected booth, making it impossible to declare a result without a fresh vote.
What happened in Kota during the repolling?
A confrontation broke out at Ward No. 87 of the Kota Municipal Corporation, where BJP and Congress workers reportedly clashed outside the polling station, allegedly exchanging kicks and punches. Police and administrative officials reached the spot, deployed additional security, and dispersed the workers involved; voting continued after order was restored.
When will the repolling results be declared?
Voting on 16 September continues until 6:00 pm, after which EVMs will be sealed and moved to strongrooms. Counting of the fresh votes begins at 8:00 am on Thursday, 17 September, following which the pending results for the affected wards will be declared.
Which posts are affected by the delay?
The election processes for the posts of Mayor in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota Municipal Corporations, and Chairperson in Suket Municipality, are on hold until the repolling count is completed on 17 September.
What special rules apply to voters in the repolling?
The indelible ink applied during the original 14 September polling is being disregarded for eligibility. Voters casting ballots in the repolling are being freshly marked with indelible ink on the middle finger of the left hand. Only those whose names appear on the original electoral roll for the respective booth are allowed to vote, and new EVMs with fresh ballot papers have been deployed at all affected stations.
