Rajasthan Civic Elections 2026 see mayor and chairperson polls across urban local bodies, while Ashok Gehlot raises allegations over councillors ahead of voting.
The Rajasthan Civic Elections 2026 entered a crucial phase on Monday, September 21, with elections being held for the top posts in 273 urban local bodies across the state. The process includes the election of mayors in five municipal corporations and chairpersons in other urban bodies. Voting was scheduled from 10 am to 2 pm, followed by counting and declaration of results.
The elections are being conducted among the newly elected councillors rather than through direct voting by the general public. Political parties have been closely monitoring their councillors as they seek to secure the numbers required for control of different civic bodies. Independent councillors have emerged as important players in several local bodies because of fractured mandates.
Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota Mayor Polls Deferred
While five municipal corporations were scheduled for mayoral elections on September 21, the mayoral elections in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota were deferred after technical issues affected results in some wards.
The Rajasthan State Election Commission had ordered repolling at affected polling stations and postponed the mayoral process in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota, along with the chairperson election in Suket. The revised schedule subsequently placed the three major city mayoral elections on September 25.
As a result, the mayoral contests in Udaipur, Bikaner, Alwar, Pali and Ajmer moved ahead on September 21, while Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota remained pending for the later date.
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Voting and Counting Process
Under the Rajasthan Civic Elections 2026 schedule, councillors participating in the election were required to cast their votes during the designated four-hour window. Counting was to follow the voting process, with results expected to be declared the same day in the bodies where elections were held.
The contest has attracted attention because several civic bodies do not have an outright majority for a single political party. Independent councillors therefore have a significant role in determining who secures the required numbers for mayor and chairperson posts.
Ashok Gehlot Raises Allegations Before Polls
Ahead of the civic leadership elections, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot raised allegations concerning the movement of Congress councillors and other political developments linked to the polls.
In a social media statement, Gehlot alleged that Congress councillors from Tijara who were travelling to vote had been stopped in Panchkula, Haryana. He also alleged that former MLA Sandeep Yadav was detained in Gurugram and claimed that police action was being used to influence the electoral process.
Reports on the Tijara episode said Congress leaders alleged that 18 councillors were stopped in Haryana ahead of the chairperson election. Panchkula police, however, denied having a role in detaining the councillors, making the matter a subject of competing claims.
Gehlot Questions Police Action
Gehlot further claimed that photographs of some councillors were already available with Haryana Police and alleged that individuals were being identified on the basis of their faces. He described the alleged action as targeted rather than routine checking.
He also claimed that the developments were connected to the Rajasthan and Haryana governments. These claims have been made by Gehlot and were not independently established in the material reviewed for this report.
The former chief minister called on the Rajasthan government and the State Election Commission to ensure that councillors travelling to participate in the elections could exercise their voting rights without obstruction.
Independent Councillors Remain Important
A key feature of the Rajasthan Civic Elections 2026 is the role of independent councillors in several urban local bodies. With fragmented results in a number of municipalities and corporations, independents can hold the numbers needed to determine the leadership of civic boards.
Political parties have consequently attempted to keep their elected councillors together ahead of the mayor and chairperson elections. Reports have described this strategy as “barabandi”, in which councillors are kept together to prevent defections or shifts in support.
High Court Intervention Adds to Political Activity
The run-up to the Rajasthan Civic Elections 2026 also saw legal developments. The Rajasthan High Court reportedly intervened late at night in a matter involving the possible arrest of councillors, staying the arrest of nine councillors from Hanumangarh and one from Bikaner.
Separately, independent Hanumangarh MLA Ganeshraj Bansal was arrested a day before the civic leadership elections, adding to the political tension surrounding the local-body contests.
With several mayoral and chairperson posts being decided through councillor voting, the Rajasthan Civic Elections 2026 have become a closely watched contest at the local-government level. The remaining mayoral elections in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota are scheduled for September 25, keeping the focus on Rajasthan’s urban political landscape for the next few days.
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