Rajasthan BJP candidate, husband go missing after polling, family alleges kidnap
A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Ward 16 in Rajasthan's Baran has gone missing along with her husband and their young child after the first phase of municipal elections, prompting police to register a kidnapping case and launch an investigation.
The missing candidate has been identified as advocate Antima Yadav. Her husband, Sanjay Yadav, is also a lawyer. According to her family, the couple and their seven- to eight-year-old child have been untraceable since voting ended on September 9.
All three mobile phones have reportedly remained switched off since the family lost contact with them, raising concern among relatives and party workers.FAMILY CLAIMS FORCED ABDUCTION
According to relatives, Antima had been at the polling centre at Ambedkar Bhawan on polling day and was seen there until around 5 pm. After voting concluded, she reportedly left to return home but never reached the house.
The family alleged that while she was returning home after campaigning and meeting voters at the polling centre, unidentified people forcibly took Antima, her husband and their child with them.
Rajendra Yadav, a relative of Antima, said he was deployed as a polling agent at the booth and had seen her there until the evening. When she failed to return home after voting, the family began searching for her.
After their efforts failed to locate the family, Antima's mother-in-law, Angoori Bai and mother Krishna Bai approached the Kotwali police station and filed a complaint.
Based on the complaint, police registered a case against an unidentified person on charges related to kidnapping.BJP CONCERNED OVER CANDIDATE'S DISAPPEARANCE
The disappearance has also triggered concern within the BJP, particularly because the party has been unable to contact Antima since polling ended.
BJP city president OP Pareta said the organisation usually contacts all candidates after polling to collect feedback and calls them to the party office if required. However, no communication has been received from Antima since the voting ended.
Pareta said the party had also contacted the family but had not received any information about her whereabouts. He added that the BJP was making efforts to trace the candidate at its own level.
He also said the BJP's position in Ward 16 was considered strong and the party was hopeful of winning the seat.POLICE EXAMINE CCTV FOOTAGE
Kotwali police have begun examining CCTV footage from roads and routes around the area to trace the movements of Antima, her husband and their child.
Kotwali Circle Inspector Heeralal Puniya said a case had been registered on the basis of the family's complaint and that CCTV footage was being examined. Police are investigating the matter from all possible angles.
The disappearance comes amid discussions about candidates being kept together after polling as part of a post-election political strategy. Antima's disappearance, along with her husband and child has therefore triggered speculation in political circles.
However, police have said it is too early to conclude that the family was abducted. Investigators are examining whether the incident was a kidnapping or whether there was another reason behind their disappearance.
The circumstances are expected to become clearer as the CCTV footage and other evidence are analysed.- EndsWith inputs from Ram Prasad MehtaPublished By: Ritaban MisraPublished On: Sep 12, 2026 12:41 IST
