A remarkable political development unfolded in the Mundwa municipality of Nagaur district following the Rajasthan municipal elections 2026. Across the 25 wards of the local civic body, the Bharatiya Janata Party had established itself as the single largest political force by bagging 10 ward councilor seats. While the numbers initially positioned the BJP within close striking distance of leading the municipal board, the subsequent indirect election for the post of municipal chairperson produced a completely unexpected turnaround. Geeta Devi, whom the party officially nominated for the chairperson role, failed to secure even a single vote, leaving the 10-member strong legislative contingent without any electoral presence on the final ballot sheet.
The Coalition Maneuver and Alka Kandoi's One-Vote Win
In a coordinated effort to keep the chairperson post out of BJP's grasp, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) and the Congress joined hands to sponsor Alka Devi Kandoi as their joint candidate. On paper, the mathematical strength of this alliance stood at 10 councilors, comprising 7 members from the RLP and 3 from the Congress. However, when the ballots were officially tabulated, Kandoi had successfully amassed 13 votes. This indicated that aside from the committed block of 10 councilors belonging to the two partnering organizations, she managed to attract 3 additional cross-party or independent votes to cross the halfway mark of the 25-member council.
Standing against her in a fiercely fought contest was independent contender Ghanshyam Sadawat, popularly known as Vicky, who gathered 12 votes. The race concluded with Kandoi edging past Sadawat by the razor-thin margin of just one vote, thereby securing the municipal chairperson seat. The outcome has drawn widespread attention not only due to the dramatic single-vote victory margin but also because of the sheer anomaly of the leading party drawing a complete blank.
Internal Discord and the Impact of a Rebel Candidacy
Ghanshyam Sadawat's independent foray into the chairperson contest served as the primary catalyst behind the disruption of traditional voting lines. Local political records establish that Sadawat had originally entered the municipal council by winning his ward election on a BJP ticket. Furthermore, he held significant political standing within district circles through his role as a personal advisor to Dr. Jyoti Mirdha, Rajasthan BJP State Vice President. When the party high command selected Geeta Devi over him as the authorized chairperson contender, Sadawat chose to defy party discipline and enter the fray as an independent.
His rebel bid effectively split loyalties and garnered 12 councilor votes, pushing him to the very brink of the municipal chair. The strong showing by an unendorsed candidate revealed profound fissures inside the party ranks, completely neutralizing the advantage of having the largest elected council delegation.
A Ten-Seat Plurality Reduced to Zero Votes
The ward election distribution across Mundwa's 25 wards had yielded 10 seats for the BJP, 7 for the RLP, 3 for the Congress, and 5 for independent representatives. With a 13-vote requirement needed for a decisive majority, the BJP had appeared best placed to consolidate its position. In contrast to these calculations, not a single one of the 10 elected BJP councilors cast their vote in favor of Geeta Devi, leaving her with zero votes. The phenomenon of an entire party contingent failing to vote for its designated nominee became the central puzzle of the civic election.
While local observers have pointed to factional dynamics and internal dissent behind this voting pattern, no official statement or formal reason has been presented to explain the behavior of the BJP councilors. Ultimately, the combined strategy of the RLP and Congress, coupled with internal party cross-voting, handed Alka Devi Kandoi the chairperson's gavel while sealing an unprecedented zero-vote tally for the party that won the most wards.
