Its performance in Bikaner and Ajmer, where Congress ended BJP’s 36-year hold over the city, has sharpened concerns within the organisation, particularly with panchayat polls likely later this year. Congress, though behind BJP in the overall tally, gained enough ground to make the point that BJP’s urban dominance remained incomplete.

State Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra delivered a strong result for the party in his home turf of Sikar and Laxmangarh, strengthening his position within the state unit. In Tonk, Congress managed an edge in Sachin Pilot’s political turf even though the former deputy chief minister largely stayed away from campaigning and ticket distribution.

The party also mounted a serious challenge in Jodhpur, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s political base, where Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat campaigned extensively over the past month. The CPM also entered the winners’ list by commanding enough numbers to form the board in Nokha, Bikaner.

The strongest signal from the verdict is the independent vote. With 2,273 wards, independents are set to influence control in several bodies where neither BJP nor Congress has a clear majority.

Their performance points to the continuing strength of local networks, candidate reputation and ward-level grievances over party loyalty in many towns. The State Election Commission Monday postponed, until further orders, elections for chairperson and deputy chairperson in four urban local bodies after technical glitches in EVMs delayed the declaration of results.

The affected bodies include Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporations, and Suket municipality in Kota. During counting, results from some booths could not be released due to EVM malfunctions, leaving the results in these bodies incomplete.

The Commission said fresh dates would be announced later. The SEC has ordered repolling at 10 polling stations in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota and Suket.

Repolling will be held on Sept 16 from 7am to 6pm, with counting on Sept 17 from 8am at designated centres. The affected booths include five in Jaipur Municipal Corporation, one in Jodhpur Municipal Corporation, three in Kota Municipal Corporation and one in Suket municipality.

The Commission said the number of votes affected by the malfunction exceeded the victory margins between the nearest rival candidates, requiring repolling. In Jaipur, BJP crossed the majority mark with 78 seats in the 150-member Jaipur Municipal Corporation.

Results of four wards were withheld after EVMs developed technical snags, leaving counting incomplete. Elections were held in two phases, on Sept 9 and 11, across 309 urban local bodies — 10 municipal corporations, 47 municipal councils and 252 municipalities.

The increase in the number of bodies since the previous elections followed the creation of new municipalities, expansion and reorganisation of existing urban areas, and delimitation. The results mark a shift from the map that emerged after the previous municipal elections, held between Nov 2019 and Feb 2021, when Rajasthan had 196 urban local bodies with 7,500 wards.

After the election of mayors and chairpersons, Congress controlled 123 bodies, BJP 64, and Independents and other parties nine. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, BJP state President Madan Rathore and other leaders celebrate after the party's victory in the state local body elections at the BJP headquarter in Jaipur on 14 September 2026.

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