Jaipur: BJP Friday clinched mayoral elections in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota, raising its tally to nine out of 10 municipal corporations in the state. The newly elected mayors – Sunil Kothari in Jaipur, Prasann Chand Mehta in Jodhpur and Anusuya Goswami in Kota – solidified BJP’s control in urban governance across the state.BJP had earlier won mayoral posts in Udaipur, Ajmer, Alwar, Pali, Bhilwara and Bharatpur, while Congress won Bikaner. Alongside Friday’s mayoral elections, BJP’s Jitendra Chopra was elected chairperson of the newly established Suket municipality in Kota district, while Congress’s Sushil Kumar took the chairperson position in Srivijaynagar municipality of Sriganganagar. The results of Khatu Shyamji municipality in Sikar district remained undeclared as of 6pm, despite a directive by Rajasthan High Court to do so.In total, BJP now controls 202 of 309 civic bodies across Rajasthan, with Congress trailing at 96. Other political parties — RLP, CPM and AAP — control one municipality each, while independents head seven.In Jaipur, Kothari secured 89 votes against Congress candidate Sunita Mawar’s 60, with one NOTA vote. In Jodhpur, Mehta defeated Congress’s Rajendra Singh Solanki 53-47. In Kota, Goswami polled 65 votes, while Congress’s Sunita Suman received 35.All three BJP mayoral candidates secured more votes than the party’s elected councillor strength in their respective corporations. With secret ballots, the source of the additional votes could not be established from the final tally.In Kota, the result came after an intense campaign by both parties. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was involved in the BJP’s campaign and candidate selection, according to party sources.The result also brought renewed focus on differences within Congress’s local unit, with former cabinet minister Shanti Dhariwal and former BJP functionary Prahlad Gunjal emerging as rival centres of influence.Gunjal had earlier raised concerns over ticket distribution with the Congress leadership, according to party sources.In Jodhpur, the concluding result in BJP’s favour holds particular importance as it is the political stronghold of both Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, hinting at the ongoing power struggle within the party’s state unit.BJP’s local campaign was bolstered by senior functionaries such as Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, deputy chief minister Diya Kumari and cabinet minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, reflecting the emphasis on grassroots mobilisation.BJP — 202Independents — 7POLL COVERAGE10 Municipal Corporations | 47 Municipal Councils | 252 Municipalities
