JAIPUR: In Rajasthan, as elections to Pradhan and Zila Pramukh posts approach, the BJP and Congress have intensified efforts to keep their flock of candidates together.
Both parties have moved thousands of Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad candidates to hotels and resorts within and outside the state. In Alwar, some candidates have even been taken to Nepal and Himachal Pradesh as both sides seek to prevent cross-voting and consolidate support before the indirect elections.
The exercise, commonly known as 'badabandi' or political confinement, has gathered momentum after a brief pause during Diwali festivities, particularly in districts where both parties anticipate close contests for leadership positions.
In Alwar's Kathumar and Sonkhar-Khairli Panchayat Samitis, BJP-backed candidates were reportedly taken to Janakpur in Nepal, while Congress-supported candidates were shifted to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.
Several BJP-backed candidates celebrated Diwali in Janakpur, a religious destination associated with Goddess Sita. Photographs of the candidates performing Lakshmi Puja during the festival have also surfaced.
Meanwhile, Congress-backed candidates from the two Panchayat Samitis celebrated Diwali in Shimla, where Bharatpur Congress MP Sanjana Jatav joined them and Zila Parishad candidates during Diwali festivities.
Similar arrangements have been reported from Bansur in Alwar district, where polling was completed during the second phase of Panchayat polls. BJP-supported candidates have reportedly been accommodated at a resort on the Ajmer Highway near Jaipur, while Congress-backed candidates are staying at a hotel on the Jaipur-Delhi National Highway.
The fourth phase of the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Rajasthan is slated for November 14, after which both parties plan to intensify the exercise across the state.
BJP state spokesperson Ramlal Sharma said the party would begin assembling candidates at the state level after November 14, although district-level arrangements have already started. The BJP claims such gatherings are intended for training and coordination rather than political confinement.
Party leaders have also assigned local MLAs, district presidents and organisational functionaries the responsibility of coordinating with candidates and ensuring their participation in the leadership elections.
The heightened political activity follows the recent urban local body elections, where Independents emerged as crucial players in several municipalities and municipal councils. Both parties are now keen to avoid similar uncertainties during the formation of Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad boards.
Since Pradhans and Zila Pramukhs are elected indirectly by the elected members, even a small shift in support could alter the balance of power in closely contested local bodies. The presence of rebel candidates and Independents has further increased the importance of keeping party-backed representatives together.
With the final phase of polling still pending, the two major parties have begun preparing for the next political contest even before the complete election results are declared.
This political manoeuvring comes amid the four-phase Panchayati Raj elections in Rajasthan, covering 1,403 Zila Parishad member seats across 41 Zila Parishads and 8,245 Panchayat Samiti member seats across 457 Panchayat Samitis.
With the fourth and final phase of polling scheduled for November 14, the BJP and Congress are determined to herd their candidates together ahead of the indirect elections for the posts of Zila Pramukh and Pradhan.
Results of the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections will be declared on November 20, after which the process of electing Zila Pramukhs and Pradhans will begin.