(Drop Cap) Kota gave BJP its clearest comfort on a difficult day for several of its most prominent Rajasthan faces, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s home turf delivering a comfortable win in the city municipal corporation.While Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s Jodhpur remained locked in a neck-and-neck contest, and BJP was marginally ahead in Bhupender Yadav’s Alwar, BJP suffered a rout at the hands of Congress in Arjun Ram Meghwal’s Bikaner. In Jhalawar, former Rajasthan chief minister and BJP vice president Vasundhara Raje lost part of her constituency to Congress and the other — Baran – to debutante Aam Aadmi Party.Birla’s Kota stood out as the party’s strongest urban result. The BJP won 55 of 100 wards, with Congress held to 40 and Independents winning only three wards.The result reaffirmed Birla’s grip over the region, though the victory came with pockets of local strain. Counting in ward 87 was put on hold after an EVM malfunction with Congress candidate Laxmi Sharma, contesting against BJP’s Pushpa Choudhary, staging a sit-in and demanding that the result be declared the same day.Counting was briefly disrupted in another ward because of an EVM fault but resumed after repairs. Congress candidate Ashok Meghwal later defeated BJP’s Dinesh Kumar by 180 votes.The BJP retained several important pockets. Vivek Rajvanshi won his fourth consecutive term as councillor from ward 54, defeating Congress candidate Manish by 2,226 votes. BJP’s Gopal Ram Manda won his fifth straight election, defeating Congress candidate Sanjay Yadav by 899 votes.Congress and independents also registered wins in closely watched wards. Youth Congress candidate Arpit Jain defeated BJP veteran and former deputy mayor Yogendra Khinchi by 250 votes.In Bundi, BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the municipal council, winning 29 wards, two short of a majority. Congress won 20 and independents 11. By evening, however, three winning independents — Prabhat Devi from ward 1, Aatmaram Chopdar from ward 3 and Vishal Sharma from ward 16 — joined BJP, giving it a clear majority to form the board.The result was a setback for Congress, which had hoped to challenge the BJP in Bundi. Party insiders blamed ticket distribution, saying the process was controlled by a few families and damaged the party’s prospects.In Udaipur too, BJP deepened its hold over the municipal corporation, winning 53 of 80 wards and clearing the way to form the board for the seventh time. Congress won 23 wards, Independents three and CPI(M) one.Beyond Udaipur city, the district produced a more mixed verdict. Of the five Nagar Palikas, Congress secured majorities in Kanod, Bhinder and Mavli, while the BJP won Fatehnagar and Vallabhnagar.
