BJP wins Kota municipal elections, poll for chairperson postponed after EVM glitches in some wards

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Kota Congress President Rakhi Gautam arrived at the counting centre to demand transparency and to ensure that the machine was sealed in the presence of the collector and ADM. Credit: X/@Rakhigautam01

The BJP has crossed the majority threshold in the Kota Municipal Corporation election, securing 55 out of 100 wards, but the elections for the posts of chairperson and vice chairperson in Kota and Suket were postponed due to EVM glitches in some wards.

Congress bagged 40 wards and Independents won three wards.

According to official orders issued by Chief Electoral Officer and Secretary Rajesh Verma, counting and results of Ward 87, Ward 44, Ward 11 of Kota Municipal Corporation and a designated booth in Suket Municipality, Ward 4, were put on hold after malfunctioning in EVMs.

Consequently, re-polling has been scheduled on September 16 in the affected booths prior to finalising the local body election outcomes, with counting on September 17.

वार्ड 87 की मतगणना के दौरान मशीन में गड़बड़ी की सूचना मिलते ही JDB कॉलेज स्थित मतगणना स्थल पर मौके पर पहुंचकर कलेक्टर व एडीएम से वार्ता कर उक्त मशीन को सील करवाया।कांग्रेस पार्टी चुनाव में पूरी पारदर्शिता चाहती है। जनता के वोट का सम्मान होना चाहिएगड़बड़ी बर्दाश्त नहीं की जाएगी।"_ pic.twitter.com/ZAt8VHNZvb

Congress candidate from Ward 87, Laxmi Sharma, along with party leader Shalini Gautam and Youth Congress secretary Shubham Gochar sat on a 'dharna' outside the JDB college demanding the result.

"We are well aware of the ill intentions of BJP, known for foul games. We are winning Ward 87 and they played some game overnight to defeat us," Ms. Sharma, who was pitted against BJP's Pushpa Choudhary, told reporters.

Later in the day, Kota Congress President Rakhi Gautam arrived at the counting centre to demand transparency and to ensure that the machine was sealed in the presence of the collector and ADM.

The officials forwarded a formal report to the Election Commission through the returning officer (RO), seeking instructions.

BJP candidate Vivek Rajvanshi won his fourth consecutive term as councillor of Ward 54, defeating the closest candidate, Congress's Manish, by 2,226 votes.

BJP's Gopal Ram Manda won his fifth consecutive election, defeating Congress candidate Sanjay Yadav by 899 votes.

The victory celebration was accompanied by brief drama when Independent candidate Babulal protested, alleging he was denied entry to the counting area.

Despite the BJP's overall control of the board, Congress and Independent candidates secured victories in key wards.

Youth Congress candidate Arpit Jain pulled off a major upset by defeating BJP veteran and former deputy mayor Yogendra Khinchi by 250 votes in Ward 86.

Independent candidate Vandana Faujdar won the seat in Ward 71 with 1,264 votes, defeating BJP candidate Meenakshi Sen by 160 votes, while the Congress candidate finished in third place.

In Bundi, BJP emerged as the largest party with 29 ward wins, albeit two seats short of a majority, leaving Congress at 20 and 11 Independents with scope for negotiations.

Later in the evening, three Independent candidates — Prabhat Devi from Ward 1, Aatmaram Chopdar from Ward 3 and Vishal Sharma from Ward 16 — joined BJP, bringing the saffron party to full majority to form the board.

The party had captured the previous mid-term by suspending Congress municipal council sabhapati Madu Nuwal.

Some Congress leaders claimed the party was set to form the board this time also, but were held back by discrimination in ticket distribution, centralised to a few family people.

Former councillor Devraj Gochar, Ankit Buliwal and Jeeshan Ali were denied Congress tickets, and they won independently from Wards 54, 44, 19, respectively.

Ex-Bundi city BJP president Sushil Mehta lost against an Independent in Ward 16.

Congress city president Shailesh Soni and youth Congress leader Nishant Nuwal won from Ward 25 and Ward 47.

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