The BJP won Rajasthan civic polls. The details paint a more complex picture

For context, the BJP won Rajasthan civic polls. The details paint a more complex picture The results point to anti-incumbency building up against the Bhajan Lal Sharma administration.

Key points

• 8 min read Jaipur Sep 16, 2026 05: 20 AM IST First published on: Sep 16, 2026 at 05: 20 AM IST.
• While Independents won 15, in BJP state president Madan Rathore's home turf of Pali, out of 65 wards, the Congress bagged 29 against the BJP's 21.
• Of the total votes polled, BJP cornered 35.19% against Congress's 34.25%, a difference of 0.94%.
• For instance, the AAP's breakthrough win in Baran Municipal Council came with Kamal Rathore, a former Municipal Council Chairperson with the Congress.
• Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma offers sweets to state BJP chief Madan Rathore after the poll win, in Jaipur.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma offers sweets to state BJP chief Madan Rathore after the poll win, in Jaipur. (Express photo by Rohit Jain Paras). Written by: Hamza Khan.

With results for almost all the 10, 000 wards in the Rajasthan urban local body polls in, a finer reading indicates worrying signs for the BJP administration halfway through its tenure.

While Independents won 2, 273 wards, upsetting both the BJP and the Congress in a number of places, of the 10, 235 wards in which results have been declared – the outcome in nine have been held due to EVM glitches in some booths – the BJP won 4, 179 wards against the Congress's 3, 613 wards.

While the Congress did so in one, of the 10 municipal corporations, the BJP crossed the halfway mark only in four. While the Congress crossed the halfway mark in six, and the AAP in one, in the elections to 47 Municipal Councils, the BJP secured a clear majority in 12 bodies. The BJP clinched 70 of the 252 Municipalities as against the Congress's 39, with Independents or smaller parties being crucial for forming Boards in most of the remaining Councils and Municipalities. Rajasthan civic polls: Why Congress's loss is AAP and CPM's gains.

First, the results point to anti-incumbency building up against the Bhajan Lal Sharma administration. The administration has tried to tread carefully, but that has often led to delays in decision-making. In the last two and a half years, the administration has largely been seen as being reactive to the developments, rather than taking an initiative towards their resolution early on.

Be it taking a call on Cabinet minister Kirodi Lal Meena's resignation in 2024, the cancellation of the 2021 Sub-Inspector examination, or holding local body polls, the administration is seen as being indecisive on political hot-button matters; on the last two, the courts repeatedly chided it.

In Rajasthan local body polls, a shot in the arm for BJP.

Early on, the government's image was shaped by the CM's inexperience – he is a first-time MLA – and its dependence on bureaucrats. A side-effect of this was visible in the December 2024 Investment Summit where projects worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore were purportedly signed. After it was alleged that a number of of these projects were already underway, the administration refused to furnish information in an RTI, nevertheless.

While it has managed to overcome the "bureaucrat-heavy" perception to some extent, its slip-ups haven't halted.

Last year, the Rajasthan Assembly sent three Bills to the Select Committee in a single session, including a Bill to regulate coaching centres. Of the three draft laws, the Rajasthan Ground Water Authority Bill was sent to the Select Committee for the second time. The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill too was initially withdrawn and tabled again. In contrast, under the previous Ashok Gehlot administration, only two Bills were sent to the Select Committee in its five-year tenure.

Congress notes Dalit backlash over Mallikarjun Kharge purification row assisted it in Rajasthan polls.

Then there have been decisions which were withdrawn after a backlash: celebrating December 6 – the day in 1992 when Babri Masjid was demolished – as "Shaurya Diwas (Day of Valour)" – this was unveiled and withdrawn twice; Ram Katha deployment for teachers; and Sarthak Naam campaign in schools.

In February, the demand to protect Khejri trees snowballed into a major protest. It had been simmering since last December. The CM confirmed a law after the protest.

More lately, a delegation of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was attacked in Jaipur's Bagru, adjacent to the CM's own Assembly seat, Sanganer. Shortly after, the administration listed its measures for school infrastructure and the CM's office itself confirmed Rs 18 lakh for the school the CJP had inspected. This invited criticism of the government's handling of the matter.

Earlier this year, former CM Ashok Gehlot additionally accused the BJP administration of sitting on a number of major public infrastructure and healthcare projects, alleging prolonged delays and oversight. Curious case of candidate who obtained zero votes.

While the CM is praised for his clean image, his public addresses, coupled with an occasional slip of the tongue, are a contrast to former CMs Gehlot and Vasundhara Raje. While Raje was known to be measured, Gehlot usually resorted to quips. While Raje benefitted from being a tough taskmaster, Gehlot was more perceptive of political messaging through his administration, and behind the scenes.

Sharma has struggled to establish his own identity. Moreover, the once top party leaders in the state have been sidelined, with the control remaining with the high command. So, the accountability at the state level – and thus the stakes – are additionally lower. At the party level, leaders including state chief Madan Rathore have indicated a Cabinet reshuffle on multiple occasions, but it has been in abeyance. As it carries an inherent risk, party insiders attribute this to a lack of political will.

For CM Sharma, the Independents performing better than the BJP in his home turf of Bharatpur will be a cause of concern: Independents won 36 wards in the 65-member Bharatpur Corporation as against the BJP's 20 and the Congress's seven. While Independents won 15, in BJP state president Madan Rathore's home turf of Pali, out of 65 wards, the Congress bagged 29 against the BJP's 21. The BJP additionally suffered a loss in the 45-member Jhalawar Municipal Council, where it secured just 13 against the Congress's 29. This region is considered a stronghold of Raje. This person is an MLA from Jhalrapatan in the district. Notably, the BJP, nevertheless, won the Jhalrapatan Municipality.

For almost three decades, Rajasthan has voted out the incumbent. Though the signs appear ominous for the Sharma administration, the BJP is adept at making course corrections and still has time to produce amends.

Of the total votes polled, BJP cornered 35.19% against Congress's 34.25%, a difference of 0.94%. Independents stood at 27.38%, essentially turning it into a three-way contest in plenty of places.

Compared to vote percentage, the difference between BJP and Congress was starker in terms of wins, with BJP winning 566 more wards and surging far ahead of the Congress.

Meanwhile, the Congress has alleged that delimitation supported the BJP in a number of places. Citing "lopsided reconstitution of wards", state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra asserted that if not for the "dishonest" exercise, the party would have won 1, 500 more wards than the BJP.

For context, the independents, including rebels, additionally played spoilsport for both the parties: ticket distribution and dissatisfaction over candidate selection led to the creation of rebels in a number of places. For instance, the AAP's breakthrough win in Baran Municipal Council came with Kamal Rathore, a former Municipal Council Chairperson with the Congress.

With over 10, 000 wards going to polls, it additionally became challenging for either party to contain and micromanage the plenty of rebellions. Protests by "upper-caste" outfits such as the Karni Sena, demanding rollback of UGC equity regulations and linking it to the polls, additionally had an impact to some extent. The Sena asserted that it had backed over 70% of the winning independents.

In practice, the Congress additionally won more reserved Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) seats, indicating that the BJP not only lost some backing within traditional vote-banks but additionally couldn't counter the Congress narrative of the BJP being "anti-Dalit", especially in light of the Haldwani "purification" row in which party chief Mallikarjun Kharge was at the centre.

As well as delimitation, nevertheless, a lot of damage to the BJP was checked due to a number of measures, including at the organisational level, and campaigning by the party's top brass in the state, including the CM, the ministers, all four Union Ministers. In contrast, all top leaders of the Congress maintained their distance from campaigning, with the party attributing it to a long-running trend in the state.

Traditionally, the BJP has performed well in urban areas and the mandate in local body polls usually goes in the ruling party's favour. But the party's underperformance indicates that it may have to rapidly set its house in order, especially in light of the coming polls for panchayati raj institutions, where the Congress is expecting to fare better than it did in the urban polls.

Taken together, the developments around the BJP won Rajasthan civic polls. The details paint a more complex point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.