The Ajmer Municipal Corporation polls have produced a hung civic body, with Congress emerging as the largest party with 37 wards and the BJP winning 32. At the same time, 11 Independent councillors now hold the balance needed to form the next municipal board.
Key Takeaways
- Congress won 37 of Ajmer’s 80 municipal wards and emerged as the largest party.
- BJP fell to 32 seats after controlling the municipal board for 36 years.
- Eleven Independent councillors could decide who forms the next municipal board.
The BJP’s 36-year dominance of Ajmer’s municipal board has come to an end after Congress emerged as the largest party in the latest civic election. Congress secured 37 of the 80 wards, while the BJP finished with 32 seats. Eleven Independents have emerged as potential kingmakers.
Congress Overtakes BJP in Ajmer
The election has changed the political equation in Ajmer civic body. Congress won 37 wards and moved ahead of the BJP. The BJP secured 32 seats. Independent candidates won 11 wards.
Neither of the two major parties crossed the 41-seat mark required for a majority in the 80-member corporation. The result has therefore produced a hung municipal board. The 11 Independent councillors could now play a decisive role in determining who takes control of the civic body.
Both Congress and BJP may need to negotiate with the Independents to reach the numbers required to form the next board.
BJP’s 36-Year Civic Dominance Ends
The result marks a major setback for the BJP. The party had controlled Ajmer’s municipal board for 36 years. Its performance has also declined sharply from the previous election. The BJP had won 48 seats in the earlier civic poll.
Congress had then secured only 18 wards. The RLP had won one seat, while Independents had captured 13. The latest results have reversed that position. Congress has increased its tally to 37, while the BJP has fallen to 32.
The shift gives Congress the largest bloc in the corporation, although it still needs outside support to secure a majority.
Key Contests Shape the Verdict
Several individual contests added to the significance of the results. In Ward 59, Congress candidate Babita Chauhan defeated BJP candidate Madhu Shekhawat. Madhu is the wife of former chairman Surendra Singh Shekhawat. She had been considered a strong contender for the mayor’s post.
Ward 4 also produced a closely watched result. Monica Jain, who had moved from Congress to the BJP, defeated her rival. The ward is regarded as a stronghold of Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani. Hema Gehlot also lost her election.
She is the wife of former mayor Dharmendra Gehlot and had left the BJP.
360 Candidates Contest 80 Wards
The civic election featured 360 candidates across 80 wards. Election figures showed that 77 Congress candidates were in the fray. The BJP fielded 79 candidates. Another 204 candidates included Independents and nominees from other parties.
Ajmer Municipal Corporation has 4,38,039 registered voters. Of them, 2,86,823 voters cast their ballots. The overall voter turnout stood at 65.48 per cent.
The results have now translated that voter participation into a closely divided civic body, with neither major party able to claim an outright majority.
Young Councillor Wins in Ward 80
The election also saw notable victories by individual candidates. In Ward 80, 21-year-old Kashyapi Sankhla won the election. She is the daughter of BJP leader Chandresh Sankhla.
Her victory makes her one of the youngest councillors elected in the current round of urban local body elections. Following her victory, her father thanked the residents of the ward.
BJP Rebel Ruby Jain Wins
Former BJP councillor Ruby Jain also secured a victory. She contested from Ward 74 as an Independent after rebelling against the BJP. After her win, Ruby said residents themselves had ensured that her nomination was filed. She described the outcome as a victory for the people.
Her victory adds another dimension to the Independent bloc that could become crucial in the formation of the next municipal board.
Independents Become Kingmakers
The most important feature of the Ajmer result is the absence of a clear majority. Congress is four seats short of the 41 needed to control the 80-member corporation. The BJP is nine seats away from the majority mark.
The 11 Independents therefore have considerable bargaining power. Their support could determine which party forms the next municipal board. The outcome has consequently ended one political era while opening another.
After 36 years of BJP control, Congress now has the largest presence in Ajmer’s civic body.
But the final question of who controls the municipal board could depend on the Independent councillors. (Edited by Enewstime Desk)