Jaipur: Jaipur’s civic election verdict was shaped not by the party with the larger vote count, but by the one that distributed its support more effectively across wards. Congress polled 886 more votes than the BJP across 19 urban local bodies in Jaipur district, but the BJP won 311 of 690 wards, 56 more than Congress’s 255.The result exposes a sharp vote-seat mismatch in the district. Congress secured 6,76,815 votes against the BJP’s 6,75,929, but its support appears to have been concentrated in fewer pockets, while the BJP was able to turn narrower leads across more wards into victories.Independents further complicated the contest, polling 4,22,985 votes and winning 111 wards, underlining the continuing influence of local candidates in civic elections. Their performance, along with the BJP’s more efficient spread of votes, helped produce a verdict in which Congress led in votes but trailed significantly in seats.A BJP functionary said, “A similar pattern was seen in 150 wards of Jaipur Municipal Corporation. BJP received 5,52,713 votes, while Congress polled 5,65,848, giving it a lead of 13,135 votes.”Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), contesting in Jaipur district for the first time, won five wards and polled 15,870 votes. It won one ward each in Bagru, Chomu and Phagi, and two in Vatika.Across Jaipur’s 150 municipal wards, the outcome was uneven. The BJP did well in Malviya Nagar and Sanganer. It won 11 of 15 wards in Malviya Nagar and 15 of 21 in Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s Sanganer. In 2020, the BJP had won 56.4% of the wards in Sanganer.Congress had stronger results in Adarsh Nagar and Bagru. It won 10 of 17 wards in Adarsh Nagar and eight of 14 in Bagru. It also won all three rural wards added to Bagru after delimitation.In Kishanpole, the BJP won six of 12 wards, Congress won four and independents two. In 2020, Congress had won nine of 21 wards there, while the BJP had won eight.Hawa Mahal again reflected the gap between votes and seats. Congress polled 4,224 more votes than the BJP, but BJP won eight of 15 wards against Congress’s four. Independents won three.Civil Lines produced an even contest, with BJP and Congress winning eight wards each. In Amer, BJP, Congress and an independent won one ward each. “BJP was also ahead in Vidyadhar Nagar and Jhotwara, though two wards in each constituency are pending due to repolling,” said a BJP leader.
