KOTA — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a decisive victory in the Kota Municipal Corporation elections, capturing 55 of 100 wards and crossing the majority threshold. But the celebration is tempered by technical troubles: elections for the posts of chairperson and vice chairperson in both Kota and Suket have been postponed due to electronic voting machine (EVM) malfunctions in several wards.

Key facts

  • BJP wins 55 wards, Congress 40, Independents 3
  • Re-polling scheduled for September 16 in affected booths
  • Counting for postponed wards set for September 17
  • Congress leaders demand transparency, allege foul play

Technical Snags Spark Tension

Official orders from Chief Electoral Officer and Secretary Rajesh Verma confirmed that counting and results for Ward 87, Ward 44, Ward 11 of Kota Municipal Corporation, and a designated booth in Suket Municipality’s Ward 4 were put on hold after EVMs malfunctioned. The glitches triggered immediate reactions from opposition parties.

Congress candidate Laxmi Sharma from Ward 87, along with party leader Shalini Gautam and Youth Congress secretary Shubham Gochar, staged a dharna outside JDB College, demanding results. "We are well aware of the ill intentions of BJP, known for foul games. We are winning Ward 87 and they played some game overnight to defeat us," Sharma told reporters, her voice edged with frustration.

Kota Congress President Rakhi Gautam arrived at the counting centre, pressing for transparency and insisting that machines be sealed in the presence of the collector and ADM. Officials forwarded a formal report to the Election Commission through the returning officer, seeking instructions.

Notable Wins and Upsets

Amid the drama, some candidates celebrated clear victories. BJP’s Vivek Rajvanshi won his fourth consecutive term as councillor of Ward 54, defeating Congress rival Manish by 2,226 votes. Gopal Ram Manda secured his fifth straight election win, beating Congress candidate Sanjay Yadav by 899 votes.

But there were surprises too. Youth Congress candidate Arpit Jain pulled off a major upset, defeating BJP veteran and former deputy mayor Yogendra Khinchi by 250 votes in Ward 86. Independent candidate Vandana Faujdar won Ward 71 with 1,264 votes, narrowly overtaking BJP’s Meenakshi Sen by 160 votes.

Broader Political Landscape

In Bundi, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 29 ward wins, though falling two seats short of a majority. Congress secured 20 seats, while 11 Independents left room for negotiations. By evening, three Independent candidates—Prabhat Devi (Ward 1), Aatmaram Chopdar (Ward 3), and Vishal Sharma (Ward 16)—joined the BJP, handing the party full control to form the board.

Some Congress leaders attributed their performance to internal issues, claiming discrimination in ticket distribution that centralized power to a few families. Former councillors Devraj Gochar, Ankit Buliwal, and Jeeshan Ali, denied Congress tickets, won independently from Wards 54, 44, and 19 respectively.

All eyes now turn to September 16, when re-polling will hopefully resolve the uncertainties and allow Kota to fully usher in its new leadership.