Stone pelting and arson broke out at a vote-counting centre in Udaipur district, Rajasthan, late on Thursday night, 6 November 2025, after results were declared in the third phase of Panchayati Raj elections covering 3,716 Gram Panchayats. The violence marred what was otherwise a historic grassroots electoral exercise, as several candidates from prominent political families also suffered defeats.

Violence at Udaipur and Dausa Counting Centres

In Navaghara Gram Panchayat under the Kherwara Panchayat Samiti in Udaipur, trouble erupted at around 11:30 pm after Pushpa Devi was declared the winning Sarpanch candidate. According to locals, supporters of the defeated candidate turned violent as Devi was being escorted from the counting centre toward her residence. They allegedly hurled stones at the counting site, set property on fire, and vandalised several vehicles parked on the premises.

Police teams from Bawalwada rushed to the spot and restored order, while fire brigade personnel were deployed to douse the flames. No injuries were officially confirmed in initial reports.

In Dausa district, a separate commotion broke out at the Baroli polling booth after allegations surfaced that the seal of a ballot box had been broken, raising concerns about the integrity of that count.

Counting Dispute Triggers Intervention in Bharatpur

In Darr Barahna Gram Panchayat under the Bayana Panchayat Samiti in Bharatpur district, Vimla Kumari was initially declared the winner by a razor-thin margin of just one vote after two rounds of counting. Her rival's supporters alleged that three votes had been left uncounted, triggering a commotion at the venue.

Bayana SDM Alka Srivastava intervened and directed that the recount be conducted at her office, in a move aimed at de-escalating tensions. This kind of single-vote dispute at the panchayat level underscores how intensely contested local elections can be — a pattern seen repeatedly across Rajasthan's rural belts.

Political Families Face Electoral Setbacks

The third phase delivered notable defeats for candidates with prominent political connections. Kapil Meena, son of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Shanta Meena from Salumbar — whose late father Amritlal Meena was also a BJP MLA — lost the Sarpanch election in Semari Gram Panchayat.

Kamala Parmar, sister-in-law of Congress MLA Dayaram Parmar from Kherwara, lost the Sarpanch election in Mahuwal Gram Panchayat under the Nayagaon Panchayat Samiti. Her husband Pannalal — the MLA's brother — contested from Ward 6 of the Panchayat Samiti on a Congress ticket and remains among the contenders for the post of Pradhan. Panchayat Samiti results are scheduled to be declared on 20 November.

Notable Victories and a Medical Emergency

Shobha Bhardwaj, wife of Mahendra Bhardwaj who served as media advisor to former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, won the Sarpanch election from Deoli in Tonk district, defeating rival Manju by 124 votes. Tamma Kanwar, aunt of Chittorgarh MLA Chandrabhan Singh Aakya, was elected Sarpanch from Aakya village under the Bhadesar Panchayat Samiti.

In Jalore district, Chhaganlal Bhil defeated Ugam Devi — wife of Naib Tehsildar Virmaram — by just 13 votes in Kumbhiya Gram Panchayat. Mausam Meena, wife of Narcotics Control Bureau officer Dharam Singh Meena, won the Sarpanch election in Ganipur Gram Panchayat under the Sikrai Panchayat Samiti in Dausa district.

Separately, election official Mohammad Luqman suffered a heart attack while counting votes in Rajmahal Gram Panchayat under the Deoli Panchayat Samiti in Tonk district. He was admitted to Deoli Sub-District Hospital and subsequently referred to a higher medical centre due to his critical condition.

What Comes Next

Polling for the post of Up-Sarpanch (deputy village head) is being held on Friday, 7 November, as part of the third phase. Elections for Panch and Sarpanch posts were conducted on Thursday across the 3,716 Gram Panchayats in this phase, with results declared late Thursday night. Panchayat Samiti results are scheduled on 20 November — a date that will determine the next layer of local power across these districts.