Rajasthan ULB elections Phase 1: Voting underway in 162 bodies across 39 districts
Synopsis
Rajasthan's urban democratic exercise is in full swing — Phase 1 of the ULB elections has over 57.52 lakh voters choosing from 20,623 candidates across 162 bodies in 39 districts. With 130 wards in the four key municipal corporations already in multi-cornered contests, the results will offer a telling glimpse into urban political sentiment in the state.
Key Takeaways
Phase 1 of Rajasthan's ULB elections began at 7:00 am on 9 September and runs until 6:00 pm .
Voting covers 162 Urban Local Bodies across 39 districts , including 131 municipalities , 27 municipal councils , and 4 municipal corporations .
Over 57.52 lakh voters are eligible to vote for 20,623 candidates across 5,393 wards .
Elections in 32 wards were decided unopposed; 73 wards in the four corporations are direct BJP vs Congress contests.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma urged citizens, especially first-time young voters, to participate in large numbers.
The State Election Commission control room is reachable at 0141-2227407 for complaints and queries.
Voting for Phase 1 of Rajasthan's Urban Local Body (ULB) elections commenced at 7:00 am on Wednesday, 9 September and will continue until 6:00 pm, with tight security deployed across all polling centres in the state. The phase covers 162 Urban Local Bodies spread across 39 districts, with over 57.52 lakh voters eligible to decide the fate of 20,623 candidates.
Scale and Structure of Phase 1
The first phase encompasses 131 municipalities, 27 municipal councils, and four municipal corporations — Bharatpur, Alwar, Bikaner, and Bhilwara. Polling is being conducted at 7,067 booths across 6,930 polling premises, covering a total of 5,393 wards. The four municipal corporations alone account for 279 wards in this phase.
Notably, elections in 32 wards have already been decided unopposed, even before a single vote was cast. Among the four municipal corporations, 73 wards are seeing direct BJP vs Congress contests, 76 wards have triangular fights, and 130 wards are witnessing multi-cornered contests — reflecting the fragmented political landscape at the urban local level.
Early Turnout and Ground Activity
Early-morning queues were reported at several polling stations across the state. In Alwar, voters began arriving at booths to elect councillors for the city's 65 wards. Jayaprakash Sharma cast the first vote at the Dak Bungalow polling station shortly after polling opened. Political party workers had distributed voter slips door-to-door on Tuesday, stepping in after the Election Commission did not arrange for official distribution.
What the Chief Minister Said
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma appealed to citizens to participate enthusiastically in the democratic process, urging first-time young voters in particular to turn out in large numbers and encourage their families and acquaintances to vote. His appeal underscores the ruling government's awareness that urban local body elections, while lower-profile than assembly contests, can signal voter sentiment ahead of larger electoral cycles.
Voter Assistance and Complaint Mechanism
The State Election Commission has established a dedicated control room reachable at 0141-2227407 for complaints and election-related queries. Voters have been advised to verify their names in the electoral roll and confirm polling station details through the 'Search Voter' facility on the Commission's official website before heading out. This comes amid broader efforts to streamline urban voter participation, which has historically lagged behind rural turnout in Rajasthan.
What Comes Next
With Phase 1 polling concluding by 6:00 pm on Wednesday, attention will turn to vote counting and the subsequent phases of the ULB elections. The results from these 162 bodies will offer an early read on the political mood in Rajasthan's urban centres, particularly in the four municipal corporations where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress are in direct contest across dozens of wards.
Point of View
But they are a reliable barometer of ground-level party organisation and voter satisfaction with civic governance. The fact that BJP and Congress are in direct head-to-head contests in 73 of the four corporations' wards — with 130 more seeing multi-cornered fights — suggests neither party has consolidated urban Rajasthan decisively. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma's personal appeal to voters, particularly youth, signals that the ruling dispensation is not taking urban turnout for granted. Low urban participation has historically skewed ULB results unpredictably; if turnout is robust, it will be read as a mandate signal well before the next assembly cycle.
NationPress
9 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Rajasthan Urban Local Body election Phase 1?
Phase 1 of the Rajasthan Urban Local Body elections covers voting across 162 Urban Local Bodies in 39 districts, including 131 municipalities, 27 municipal councils, and four municipal corporations — Bharatpur, Alwar, Bikaner, and Bhilwara. Over 57.52 lakh voters are choosing from 20,623 candidates on 9 September.
What are the voting timings for the Rajasthan ULB elections?
Polling for Phase 1 began at 7:00 am and will continue until 6:00 pm on Wednesday, 9 September. Voters are advised to check their polling station details on the State Election Commission's official website before heading out.
Which municipal corporations are included in Phase 1?
The four municipal corporations covered in Phase 1 are Bharatpur, Alwar, Bikaner, and Bhilwara. Together, they account for 279 wards, with 73 seeing direct BJP vs Congress contests, 76 triangular fights, and 130 multi-cornered contests.
How many wards were decided unopposed in the Rajasthan ULB elections?
Elections in 32 wards were decided unopposed, meaning no polling was required in those constituencies. These results were determined before voting day itself.
How can voters or citizens report complaints during the Rajasthan ULB elections?
The State Election Commission has set up a dedicated control room at 0141-2227407 to handle complaints and election-related queries. Voters can also verify their names and polling station details through the 'Search Voter' facility on the Commission's official website.
