# Bikaner Mayor Election: Congress Resolves Rebel Crisis to Set Up Direct Clash With BJP

> The Congress party in Bikaner received major relief ahead of the mayoral elections as rebel candidate Navratan Daga withdrew his nomination, paving the way for a head-to-head battle with the BJP.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Rajasthan · **Published:** 2026-09-18 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/rajasthan/bikaner-mayor-election-congress-ne-sulajhaya-bagi-ka-snkata-aba-bjp-se-hogi-sidhi-takkara-33264 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Bikaner Municipal Corporation, Mayor Election 2026, Congress, BJP, Navratan Daga, Anil Kalla, Rajasthan Politics

The political drama surrounding the Bikaner Municipal Corporation mayoral election took a dramatic turn on the final day of nomination withdrawals, bringing immense relief to the Congress camp. Navratan Daga, a Congress councillor who had rebelled against the party decision to file his nomination as an independent, officially withdrew from the race. With his exit, the stage is now set for a direct and intense head-to-head contest between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party for the coveted mayoral post. Out of the 10 municipal corporations across Rajasthan, Bikaner is the sole corporation where the Congress managed to secure a clear, absolute majority on its own. However, the initial rebellion by Daga against the official party candidate, Anil Kalla, had triggered widespread panic within the Congress leadership, raising fears that internal factionalism would derail their chances. While Daga’s withdrawal has significantly minimized that risk, the BJP continues to assert that it will somehow gather the numbers to form the municipal board.

 

## The Strategic Pacification of a Rebel Councillor

Following Navratan Daga’s unexpected nomination filing, the Congress leadership immediately went into damage control mode to keep its newly elected councillors united. Initially, Daga refused to back down, insisting on pursuing his candidacy. The deadlock was finally broken after a high-level meeting with the Congress State President, Govind Singh Dotasra, who successfully persuaded Daga to withdraw his papers. Speaking to the media after withdrawing his nomination, Daga clarified that his primary intention in filing the nomination was to voice his concerns within a democratic system. He emphasized his loyalty to the party, describing himself as a dedicated soldier of the Congress, and stated that since the party had collectively chosen Anil Kalla, he would stand by that decision. Dotasra also reportedly appreciated Daga’s commitment to internal democracy. The official Congress candidate, Anil Kalla, is notably the nephew of BD Kalla, who served as a cabinet minister in the previous Congress state government.

 

## The Dynastic Politics Debate and Party Defence

Welcoming the resolution of the internal crisis, former cabinet minister Dr. BD Kalla expressed his gratitude to Navratan Daga for prioritizing the party’s interests. Addressing the persistent allegations of nepotism and dynastic politics regarding his nephew’s candidacy, Dr. BD Kalla mounted a strong defence. He highlighted his 50-year-long career in active politics, pointing out that none of his immediate family members from his own household had ever contested an election before. He questioned the logic of labeling a relative's candidacy as dynastic politics, arguing that if an individual is capable, they have every right to contest. He further pointed out that the BJP itself has numerous families with multiple members contesting elections. Backing the party's prospects, Bisenaram Sihag, the Rural District President of the Congress, claimed that the party remains completely united and expressed supreme confidence that the Congress mayor would be elected with a comfortable margin of at least 50 votes.

 

## The Arithmetic of Bikaner’s 80 Wards

With the rebel candidate out of the picture, the battle for the mayoral seat of Bikaner has officially boiled down to a straight contest between Congress candidate Anil Kalla and BJP’s Surendra Singh Shekhawat. Despite being behind in terms of official seat numbers, the BJP is actively employing tactical maneuvers to woo councillors and swing the vote in its favor, confident that it can secure the mayoral office. Looking at the mathematical equations within the 80-ward Bikaner Municipal Corporation, the Congress holds a slim but clear majority with 42 seats, just one seat above the threshold of 41 required to win. The BJP trail behind with 27 seats, while there are 10 independent councillors and 1 councillor representing the RLP. The Congress has claimed that besides its own 42 elected representatives, it also enjoys the firm backing of 5 independent councillors, bringing its projected strength to a solid 47 votes.

 

## BJP's Cross-Voting Strategy and the Broader State Context

Despite the deficit, the BJP is betting heavily on securing the support of the remaining independent councillors and triggering cross-voting within the opponent's camp. The decisive voting to choose the next Bikaner mayor is scheduled to take place on September 21, which will ultimately reveal whether the Congress can successfully defend its numerical majority or if the BJP will manage a political upset. Bikaner has been a traditional stronghold for the BJP, which has controlled the municipal corporation for the last ten years. Statewide, the BJP has already established significant dominance, capturing 25 out of the 309 local bodies in Rajasthan. The mayors of Bhilwara and Bharatpur municipal corporations, along with heads of 23 other local bodies, have already been elected unopposed under the BJP banner. Notably, in CM Bhajan Lal’s home district of Bharatpur and the neighboring Deeg district, the BJP swept all local bodies uncontested, making Bikaner a high-prestige battleground where the Congress is desperate to protect its lone majority.

## What this means for you
This electoral development will have a direct impact on the citizens of Bikaner and the broader political landscape of Rajasthan.

- **Impact on Local Administration:** Bikaner will soon get a new mayor who can expedite stalled development projects. This is expected to improve local infrastructure and public utility services in the city.

- **Political Stability in Bikaner:** The withdrawal of the rebel candidate has temporarily resolved the internal friction within the Congress. This increases the likelihood of a stable local government being formed in the Bikaner Municipal Corporation.

- **Survival of Congress in Rajasthan:** Out of the 10 corporations in the state, Bikaner is the only place where Congress has a majority. A victory here will boost the morale of Congress cadres across the state, while a loss would be a massive blow.

- **Increased Leverage for Independents:** The 10 independent councillors have become highly influential in the current scenario. Both major parties are likely to offer them significant development projects for their wards to secure their crucial votes.

## Why this happened
This political crisis was triggered by internal resentment over ticket distribution and local factionalism within the Congress, which was later resolved through high-level party intervention.

- **Resentment Over Ticket Distribution:** Local party workers and councillor Navratan Daga were upset after the mayoral ticket was handed to Anil Kalla, nephew of former minister BD Kalla. Daga viewed this as dynastic politics and filed his nomination as a protest.

- **Direct Intervention by State Leadership:** With only 42 seats, the Congress was sitting on a razor-thin majority where even a single defection could cost them the mayoral seat. This forced Congress State President Govind Singh Dotasra to personally intervene and pacify Daga.

- **Aggressive Push by the BJP:** Having controlled the Bikaner Municipal Corporation for the last decade, the BJP has nothing to lose. Despite having only 27 seats, they are aggressively leveraging independent candidates and looking for cross-voting opportunities to disrupt the Congress's narrow majority.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. When will the voting for the Bikaner Municipal Corporation mayor take place?
The voting for the Bikaner Municipal Corporation mayoral post is scheduled to take place on September 21.

### 2. Who are the mayoral candidates for Congress and BJP?
Anil Kalla is the candidate from the Congress party, while Surendra Singh Shekhawat is representing the BJP.

### 3. Why did Navratan Daga withdraw his nomination?
Navratan Daga withdrew his nomination in support of the official party candidate after a meeting with Congress State President Govind Singh Dotasra.

### 4. What is the majority mark in the Bikaner Municipal Corporation and what is the seat distribution?
The majority mark is 41 out of 80 wards. Currently, Congress has 42 seats, BJP has 27, Independents hold 10, and the RLP has 1 seat.

### 5. For how long has the BJP been in power in the Bikaner Municipal Corporation?
The BJP has held power in the Bikaner Municipal Corporation for the last ten consecutive years.

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