Jaipur: Former BJP councillor Ramesh Chand Saini, 70, has entered the 2026 Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) election as an independent after being denied a party ticket, making him the oldest candidate remaining in the fray.Saini, who represented Ward 133 of JMC Greater, has filed his nomination from Ward 77. BJP reportedly denied him a ticket citing his age. Unhappy with the party’s selection, Saini said he decided to contest to retain his connect with workers and residents.“BJP had rejected all the eligible candidates and workers of the ward while selecting its candidate. So, I decided to contest the election again as an independent for the sake of my workers,” he said.Saini’s association with civic politics spans more than two decades. He was first elected a BJP councillor in 2004 and subsequently served on and chaired key municipal committees.His supporters point to his experience and longstanding network among residents and party workers as his strengths in the election.Saini was not initially the oldest candidate to file nomination. Gopal Lal Mahawar, 71, and Ramphal Singh, 72, had also entered the contest from Ward 66. However, both nominations were cancelled during scrutiny Tuesday.Their exit has left Saini as the oldest candidate still in the race. His decision to contest as an independent after being denied a BJP ticket has also turned Ward 77 into one of the more closely watched contests in the civic polls.
