After emerging as the single largest in the recent local body polls, the Congress will be hoping for a repeat performance in Rajasthan’s panchayat samiti and zila parishad elections despite the BJP giving a tough fight. As of 2:20 pm, the ruling Congress was leading in the Panchayat Samiti elections by winning 527 seats against BJP’s 472, followed by Independents on 140 seats. Similarly, in Zila Parishad polls, Congress had won ten seats, compared to BJP’s three.
The polls are crucial for both Congress and the BJP in the state. The ruling Ashok Gehlot government will hope to maintain its good show, which was last seen during the municipal corporation elections in October-November where Congress went on to form Boards in four of six Corporations where polls were held, including Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota. However, Rajasthan has had a trend of the ruling party in the state performing better in the local body polls.
For Rajasthan BJP, also marred by factionalism, a good show in these elections may help palliate the differences within the state unit. Apart from issues within, the party is also under attack by its lone ally in the state, the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), over the farm laws. While RLP’s lone MP, Hanuman Beniwal, is part of the NDA in the Centre and its three MLAs in the state assembly support the BJP, the party is contesting the Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections
Across 21 districts — out of the total 33 in Rajasthan — a total of 12,663 candidates are vying for 4,371 panchayat samiti posts. For Zila Parishad, a total of 1,778 candidates are competing for 636 posts.
A total of 2.41 crore persons were eligible to vote in these elections, including 86 of the third gender. Of these, 1.5 crores exercised their right in four phases between November 23 and December 5. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic the maximum number of voters at a polling booth was decreased from 1,100 to 900. A total of 33,611 booths were created for the polls.
Ajmer, Banswara, Barmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Bundi, Chittorgarh, Churu, Dungarpur, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur, Pali, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sikar, Tonk and Udaipur went to polls.
The elections were held as per guidelines related to Covid-19 and arrangements were made to ensure soical distancing and use of face masks at the polling centres, according to State Election Commission secretary Shyam Rajpurohit.
The elections for Zila Pramukh/Panchayat Samiti Pradhan will be held on December 10 and elections for Up Pramukh/Up Pradhan will be held on December 11.
On November 3, Of the total 560 wards in the six corporations — two each in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota — Congress won 261 against BJP’s 242, while 57 were won by others. As a result of this division, the Congress won a clear majority in the newly formed civic bodies of Jodhpur North and Kota North while the BJP won in Jaipur Greater and Jodhpur South. Later, with the help of independents, the Congress formed Boards in Jaipur Heritage and Kota South as well. It also won the four mayoral positions in these municipal corporations.
The party now controls four of the six municipal corporations in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota – two on account of winning a clear majority while in two it secured the support of independents to get a majority. ( Indian Express )
