A major political and administrative standoff has emerged in Rajasthan local body polls as residents of Dardahind village in Tonk district resolved to completely boycott the municipal elections. Protesting against the administrative decision to merge their village into the jurisdiction of Tonk Municipal Council under Ward Number 2, all four contesting candidates from the ward withdrew their nomination papers. The decision has left the election process in Ward Number 2 in total disarray.
Hours of Mediation by Collector Tina Dabi Fail to Break Deadlock
Following the announcement of the boycott by local residents, senior administrative officials stepped in to resolve the crisis. Tonk District Collector Tina Dabi along with a team of top officials visited the area and held extensive discussions lasting several hours with the villagers of Dardahind. Collector Tina Dabi attempted to persuade the community to participate in the democratic process and express their concerns through formal channels rather than abstaining from voting.
Despite prolonged negotiations and repeated assurances from Collector Tina Dabi and administrative officers, the villagers remained steadfast in their opposition. The residents emphasized that integrating their rural area into the urban municipal council structure was unacceptable to them, and boycotting the election was their chosen form of democratic protest. Consequently, none of the candidates reconsidered their stance, and all four individuals formally took back their nomination filings before the deadline.
BJP Secures Two Unopposed Victories in Jalore Municipal Elections
In a contrasting development from Jalore district, the Bharatiya Janata Party gained a significant early advantage in the Bhinmal municipal body elections. The party managed to secure two seats unopposed even before a single vote was cast, following the withdrawal of opposition candidates.
The political landscape in Ward Number 10 of Bhinmal took a definitive turn shortly before the final deadline for withdrawing nominations. Congress party candidate Suresh officially pulled out his nomination form from the race. With Suresh exiting the contest, BJP candidate Mukesh Bhati was left as the sole remaining contender in Ward Number 10. With no other candidate in the fray, Mukesh Bhati is set to be declared elected unopposed, eliminating the need for polling in this constituency.
Final Election Picture Emerges After 3 PM Deadline Passes
The unopposed victory of Mukesh Bhati in Ward Number 10 comes right after BJP candidate Deepak Dewasi had already achieved an uncontested win in Ward Number 11 of Bhinmal. With these two swift outcomes, the BJP successfully locked in two municipal council seats prior to the actual polling day.
Official election guidelines had set 3 PM today as the absolute cutoff time for candidates to withdraw their nominations. As the 3 PM deadline elapsed, election authorities confirmed the finalized candidate rosters across local bodies in both Tonk and Jalore districts. While Ward Number 2 in Tonk faces an unprecedented void due to zero remaining candidates, Bhinmal has seen early political gains for the ruling party.
