The final picture of the Rajasthan urban local body elections will emerge after the completion of the nomination withdrawal process. Thursday is the last day for candidates to withdraw their nominations, with the deadline set for 3 pm, after which the final list of candidates contesting the elections will be clear.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress have been working to persuade rebel candidates to withdraw their nominations. Party leaders and organisational office-bearers are in continuous contact with candidates who decided to contest against the parties’ officially nominated candidates.
Discontent emerged within both parties at several places following ticket distribution for the urban local body elections. Some leaders and workers who were denied tickets filed nominations as independent candidates. The BJP and Congress are attempting to bring these rebels back before the final opportunity to withdraw nominations expires.
Party leaders have been giving different assurances to rebel candidates. Some have been offered organisational responsibilities, while others have been assured of future political or organisational roles.
Rebel candidates can affect the votes received by officially nominated party candidates in several wards. In urban local body elections, where victories and defeats can be decided by narrow margins, their presence can affect the electoral contest.
Elections are being held in a large number of urban local bodies across Rajasthan this time. On Wednesday, more than 218 candidates withdrew their nominations from 309 urban local bodies in the state. Despite this, contests in several wards remain multi-cornered.
After the withdrawal process is completed, the Election Department will clarify the final status of candidates remaining in the electoral fray. Once the 3 pm deadline ends, the number of candidates remaining and the wards where direct contests are taking place will become clear.
After the final list is issued, political parties and candidates will finalise their campaign strategies. Candidate outreach among voters will also continue.
In the Ajmer Municipal Corporation elections, four wards are in a situation where party candidates will face independent candidates. The nature of the contests in these wards has changed because of the nomination status and rejection of nominations of party candidates.
The Congress has not fielded candidates in Ward Nos. 3 and 4. In Ward No. 41, the nomination of Congress candidate Rishabhsingh was rejected. The nomination of BJP candidate Anuj Chauhan in Ward No. 24 was also reportedly rejected.
As a result, BJP’s Anamika Sharma in Ward No. 3 and BJP’s Manika Jain in Ward No. 4 will face independent candidates. In Ward No. 24, Congress candidate Rashmi Hingorani and in Ward No. 41, BJP candidate Sunil Singh will also face independent candidates.
The final electoral position in these wards will become clearer after the nomination withdrawal process is completed.
After the nomination withdrawal deadline ends, candidates will have limited time for campaigning. Candidates will seek to reach voters through door-to-door outreach, small meetings and local issues.
Issues related to roads, drains, drinking water, sanitation, streetlights, parks, traffic and local development are among the matters discussed by voters during urban local body elections.
Political parties will also accelerate local-level campaigns in support of their candidates. Party office-bearers and local leaders will contact voters at the ward level in support of their candidates.
Polling for Rajasthan’s urban local body elections will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will be held on September 9, when voters in 164 urban local bodies will elect their representatives.
The second phase will take place on September 11, with polling in 145 urban local bodies.
With little time remaining before the first phase of polling, campaigning will move forward rapidly after the nomination withdrawal process ends.
After the withdrawal of nominations, candidates contesting the elections will have limited time to reach voters. In wards with multiple candidates, each contestant will seek to strengthen their voter base.
Along with the BJP and Congress, independent candidates can affect electoral equations in several wards. At the local level, individual recognition, social equations and regional issues can influence the performance of candidates.
For the political parties, preventing the division of votes among their officially nominated candidates will be a key challenge. The presence of rebel candidates can turn contests in several wards into triangular or multi-cornered fights.
Rebel candidates associated with political parties can affect election outcomes in local body polls. A rebel candidate with a b local base can influence the votes received by the party’s officially nominated candidate.
For this reason, the BJP and Congress are trying to persuade such candidates to withdraw their nominations until the final deadline. The party leadership is seeking to bring as many rebels as possible back in support of officially nominated candidates.
The final nature of the contests will become clear only after the nomination withdrawal process is completed. Local equations and the individual popularity of candidates can also influence the outcome in several wards.
The completion of the nomination withdrawal process will mark the conclusion of an important stage in Rajasthan’s urban local body elections. After 3 pm, the number of candidates remaining in the contest and the candidates facing each other in different wards will be clear.
The subsequent phase of the election campaign will then begin. Candidates and political parties will have only a few days to reach voters before polling.
The elections are being held across 309 urban local bodies in Rajasthan. Attention is now focused on the end of the nomination withdrawal deadline and the final list of candidates, which will determine the electoral contest in different urban local bodies and wards.
