The wait is over for the candidates and voters of Bhiwadi as the counting of votes for the Bhiwadi Municipal Council elections began at 8 AM on September 14, 2026. This crucial electoral process is part of the extensive Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections 2026, where citizens across the state voted to elect their local representatives. The counting of ballots will determine the political future of numerous contestants who stood for the local administration in this industrial hub.
Details of the Polling Process in Bhiwadi
The polling for the Bhiwadi Municipal Council was conducted during the first phase of the state's urban local body elections on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. This municipal council falls within the newly formed Khairthal-Tijara district of Rajasthan. The administrative setup of the Bhiwadi Municipal Council consists of 60 wards, making it a key local government body in the region. To facilitate a smooth voting experience, the state election machinery set up a total of 74 polling booths across the council area. The distribution of these booths was managed based on voter density: 72 polling booths were designated for areas with up to 1,400 registered voters, while 2 specialized polling booths were established in areas where the voter count exceeded 1,400.
Candidate Statistics and Democratic Participation
The election campaign saw intense competition, starting with a massive wave of nominations. Initially, a total of 444 nomination papers were filed by various aspirants across the 60 wards of the council. However, the subsequent administrative processes of verification and strategic political decisions significantly reduced this number. Out of the filed nominations, 123 candidates chose to withdraw their candidatures before the deadline. Additionally, the scrutiny process led to the rejection of 58 nominations, and another 58 nomination papers were officially disqualified or invalidated. This left a final pool of 229 candidates actively competing in the electoral arena. Notably, none of the 229 candidates were elected unopposed, meaning every single ward witnessed a contested election.
Voter Turnout and the Broader Electoral Landscape
The democratic enthusiasm of the residents of Bhiwadi was evident in the high voter turnout. On the day of Phase 1 polling on September 9, 2026, the Bhiwadi Municipal Council recorded a robust voter turnout of 74.43%. Looking at the larger picture across the state of Rajasthan, the urban local body elections were divided into two main phases covering 309 municipal bodies. The first phase of polling recorded an overall voter turnout of 76.41%, whereas the second phase, held on September 11, 2026, saw a voter turnout of 70%. When combined, the overall voting percentage for both phases stood at 73.21% across the state. This massive electoral exercise covered 10 municipal corporations, 51 municipal councils, and 248 municipalities.
Timeline of the 2026 Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections
The path to the election results began with the formal release of the gazette notification on Thursday, August 27, 2026. This was followed by the scrutiny of the submitted nominations on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Candidates who wished to step back from the race had until Thursday, September 3, 2026, to withdraw their names. Out of the 309 municipal bodies scheduled for elections, 162 went to the polls in the first phase on September 9, 2026. The remaining 147 bodies conducted their voting in the second phase on September 11, 2026. Following the declaration of ward results on September 14, 2026, the next stage of governance will begin. The elections to choose the mayors of municipal corporations and chairpersons of municipal councils and municipalities are scheduled to take place on September 21, 2026. Subsequently, the elections for the positions of deputy mayors, deputy chairpersons, and municipal vice-presidents will be conducted on September 22, 2026.
