Voting is underway to elect new mayors across three major municipal corporations in Rajasthan: Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota. Alongside these civic bodies, polling is also being conducted for the post of municipal board chairman in the Suket municipality of Kota district. These elections could not take place on their previously scheduled date of September 21 because re-polling had been ordered in several wards across the four civic bodies. With the completion of the re-polling exercise, electoral proceedings to fill the top civic positions have resumed.
Jaipur Polling Schedule and Key Contenders
In the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, voting for the mayoral seat began at 10 AM and will continue until 2 PM. A total of 150 newly elected ward councillors are casting their ballots to determine the head of the civic body. Vote counting will commence immediately after the polling window closes, and the declaration of Jaipur's new mayor is scheduled for today. Following the withdrawal of nominations, the race narrowed to a direct contest between Sunil Kothari of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Sunita Mawar of the Congress party. Once this mayoral election concludes, voting for the deputy mayor post will follow on September 26.
Council Arithmetic and the Majority Mark in Jaipur
Securing the mayor post in Jaipur requires a simple majority mark of 76 votes in the 150-member house. According to the tally of elected councillors, the BJP holds 78 seats, placing it exactly two votes above the clear majority threshold. The Congress party holds 57 seats, while independent councillors occupy 15 seats. Even if Congress succeeds in securing the backing of all 15 independent members, its collective strength reaches 72, which still falls 4 votes short of the required 76-vote majority.
Cross-Voting Variables and the Secret Ballot Factor
Because councillors cast their votes via secret ballot, the numerical claims of both political parties face a genuine test inside the polling booth. Congress is looking to consolidate the 15 independent councillors while banking on potential cross-voting from councillors within the BJP camp. Conversely, the BJP's primary objective is keeping its 78 councillors strictly aligned, as its slim two-vote buffer means every single vote is critical. The eventual choices made by the 15 independents and the possibility of defection under the cover of secrecy will dictate the final outcome before the civic body turns its attention to electing its deputy mayor tomorrow.
