JAIPUR: Monday is a crucial day in Rajasthan’s political landscape as it will decide who will get the top posts in 273 urban local bodies across the state, including five municipal corporations.
Voting to elect the heads of these 273 bodies begins at 10:00 AM on Monday, and both the BJP and Congress have kept their councillors under strict surveillance - a strategy known as 'barabandi' (herding) - to prevent poaching and ensure victory.
In what was likely a first in its history, the Rajasthan High Court conducted a hearing at night. The High Court hearing, which began at 10:30 PM on Sunday and lasted till 2 AM - just before the voting for the posts of chairpersons and presidents - provided significant relief in six cases, including those concerning Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar.
During proceedings that lasted until 2 AM on Sunday over the potential arrest of councillors, the Court stayed the arrest of nine councillors from Hanumangarh and one from Bikaner. The stay order issued by the High Court after this marathon legal battle has caused a major stir in state politics and altered the entire electoral equation.
The BJP has made forming boards in all ten of the state's municipal corporations a matter of prestige, while the Congress fears cross-voting. Political calculations are also complex in Ajmer and Jodhpur.
Heads have already been elected unopposed in 32 of the state's 305 urban local bodies. According to data from the State Election Department, among these 32 bodies, the BJP secured the chairperson's post in 28 and the Congress in two, while BJP-backed independent candidates won the remaining two.
A large number of independent councillors have emerged victorious in these elections. Many of these independents and party rebels who contested the polls have since been persuaded to align with the major parties. There are 201 urban local bodies in the state witnessing a direct contest for the post of chairperson; these include 172 municipalities, 24 municipal councils, and five municipal corporations. But in other areas, independent candidates or third parties have complicated the contest.
In the state's ten municipal corporations, BJP mayors have been elected unopposed in Bharatpur and Bhilwara. Meanwhile, based on the majority count, the BJP is expected to form the board in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, and Alwar.
On the other hand, while the numbers suggest that the Congress is poised to form the municipal boards in Ajmer, Bikaner, and Pali, the possibility of an upset in these three municipal corporations cannot be ruled out as the Congress is apprehensive about cross-voting.
Mayoral elections for the Udaipur, Bikaner, Alwar, Pali, and Ajmer municipal corporations are scheduled for Monday, whereas the elections for Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota will take place on September 25.
Amid the tussle for posts of chairperson and president in Rajasthan's civic body elections, the High Court took a very serious view of criminal FIRs suddenly registered against candidates and their supporting councillors just before the polls.
It is a rare occurrence in the administrative and legal history of Rajasthan for the High Court to remain open as late as 10:30 PM on a Sunday in connection with cases about local body elections.
Despite it being a Sunday, two separate single benches of the Rajasthan High Court conducted special hearings until 10:30 PM regarding six different cases involving police FIRs and the threat of arrests against candidates and councillors from various districts who were set to participate in the voting processes scheduled for Monday.
During the court proceedings, senior advocates argued that due to political rivalry and a spirit of vendetta, attempts are being made to exclude candidates from the electoral process and exert administrative pressure on their supporters by filing false cases just 24 to 48 hours before the election.
A bench comprising Justice Nupur Bhati, Justice Kuldeep Mathur, and Justice Sunil Beniwal, constituted with the permission of the Chief Justice, acknowledged the gravity of the situation, upheld the democratic/voting rights of public representatives, and granted the petitioners interim relief against punitive action and arrest.
Legal experts believe these interim orders from the High Court have not only provided immediate relief to the candidates but also sent a clear message that the democratic rights of public representatives cannot be curtailed through malicious administrative or police actions during an election process. It is now expected that the fair elections for the heads of local bodies on Monday will be conducted peacefully.
