Rajasthan civic polls LIVE: Congress wins Jhalawar, bastion of BJP's Vasundhara Raje | Hindustan Times - Hindustan Times

**Rajasthan civic polls LIVE: Congress snatches Jhalawar, a historic BJP bastion** The counting of urban local‑body votes in Rajasthan has taken a dramatic turn as the Indian National Congress (INC) secured a clear win in Jhalawar, a district long identified with former chief minister and BJP heavyweight Vasundhara Raje. Preliminary figures released by the State Election Commission show the Congress candidate leading by a margin of over 3,000 votes, overturning the BJP’s decades‑long dominance in the area. The result was announced amid a flurry of on‑ground reports, with party workers from both sides converging at the counting centre to verify the tally.

While Congress celebrated its surprise victory in Jhalawar, the broader picture of the Rajasthan Urban Local Body elections remains in the BJP’s favour. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has edged past the Congress in the overall seat count, holding a slim lead of approximately 150 seats out of the 1,300 contested across municipal corporations, municipalities and town panchayats. However, the BJP’s advantage has been mitigated by significant inroads made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), which together captured close to 12 % of the total votes and won a handful of wards, particularly in Jaipur and Kota. A notable anecdote from the count highlighted a BJP candidate who recorded only a single vote—a ballot that, according to the candidate, was cast by an opponent’s supporter rather than himself—underscoring the volatile and unpredictable nature of the local contests.

Political analysts view the mixed outcome as a bellwether for the upcoming state assembly elections slated for 2028. The Congress triumph in Jhalawar signals a potential erosion of the Raje‑led BJP’s rural stronghold, while the party’s overall deficit suggests it still faces an uphill battle in urban centers. The emergence of AAP and CPM as credible third‑party contenders could further fragment the anti‑incumbent vote, compelling both major parties to recalibrate campaign strategies. As the final results are expected to be declared later this week, stakeholders across the spectrum are closely watching whether the BJP can consolidate its lead or if the Congress, buoyed by its Jhalawar win, can leverage the momentum to narrow the gap.