A fiercely contested local election in Tijara within Rajasthan's Alwar district concluded late in the evening with Congress candidate Ramavatar Saini capturing the municipal council chairman post. In a battle that saw votes counted well into the night until around 9:45 PM, Saini edged past Bharatiya Janata Party contender Subhash Chand Saini by a razor-thin margin of 2 votes. Needing exactly 18 votes to reach the majority threshold in the 35-member civic body, the Congress representative secured the requisite number, setting off spontaneous celebrations among party workers outside the counting centre who burst firecrackers and chanted slogans.
Breakdown of Voting in the 35-Member Council
All 35 elected ward councillors cast their ballots during the high-stakes poll. Following the close of voting and the subsequent ballot scrutiny, election officials ruled 1 vote invalid out of the 35 ballots cast. Among the 34 valid votes, Ramavatar Saini polled 18 votes, whereas Subhash Chand Saini managed 16 votes. With 18 votes required to establish a majority for the post of chairman, the single-vote cushion proved decisive, handing the Congress camp a hard-fought civic victory after an exhaustive day of political maneuvering.
Independent Majority of 31 Councillors Shaped the Contest
The mathematics behind this municipal poll remained exceptionally complex from the outset due to the ward election outcomes. When the 35 wards of Tijara Municipal Council went to the polls earlier, voters elected an overwhelming majority of 31 independent councillors. The BJP managed to win only 3 seats, while the Congress secured just a solitary 1 seat. Because both major political parties lacked an organic majority, the decision of who would head the civic body rested entirely in the hands of the large independent bloc. Both camps vigorously courted these unaligned councillors ahead of the final vote.
Pre-Poll Standoff in Panchkula Heightened Political Drama
Tensions surrounding the contest spiked days prior to voting over an inter-state confrontation. Leaders from the Congress alleged that buses transporting their supporting councillors back from Himachal Pradesh were intercepted in the Panchkula area of Haryana. Expressing deep resentment over the incident, Congress functionaries staged a demonstration outside the Pinjore police station. That standoff turned the local municipal race into a prestige battle, drawing heightened scrutiny to the movement and security of councillors right up until polling commenced.
Supporters Celebrate Historic Win Outside Counting Centre
Anticipation ran high across Tijara throughout the day, with party cadres gathering in large numbers outside the polling and counting venue to track the shifting numbers. Once the tally was finalised at approximately 9:45 PM and Ramavatar Saini was officially declared the victor with 18 votes, the crowd erupted in celebration. The win marked an improbable turnaround for the Congress, which transformed a lone elected ward seat into control of the municipal council presidency by successfully cobbling together the backing of independent members.
