Jodhpur (Rajasthan) [India], September 14 (ANI): Vote counting for the 2026 Rajasthan municipal elections began across the state on Monday amid tight security. As the results show BJP leading in some seats, Congress Legislature Party Chief Whip in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Rafeeq Khan said that the counting for the opposition party's "winning seats" is yet to begin.
He predicted that Congress will win more than 60 ward seats. He said that Congress will win two to three more seats than BJP in the Adarsh Nagar Assembly constituency in Jaipur.
"The results that have come in so far show the BJP leading, but the results for our winning seats are yet to come. The counting for those hasn't even been done yet. For example, if you talk about my assembly constituency, we will win 2-3 more seats than the BJP," Khan told ANI.
"However, the 4-5 seats that have been declared are for the BJP. Our seats are yet to be declared. We will win 8-10 seats. The results for those are still awaited. A similar trend is happening in Kishanpole and Hawamahal. Our score will go up to 60+," he added.
Congress candidate from Ajmer Norat Gurjar expressed confidence that his party would form the upcoming civic board.
“Expectations are very high. The public has opted for change this time; the upcoming board will be formed by the Congress party. People had been suffering for years, but now a shift is certain,” Gurjar told ANI.
He also thanked voters from his constituency for their continued support.
“I am also grateful to the people of my constituency for bestowing their immense blessings upon me for the fourth consecutive time,” the Congress candidate said.
In Jodhpur, counting for the municipal corporation elections commenced at 8 am under heightened security arrangements. The city went to polls in the second phase on September 11, covering 100 wards and 729 polling booths. Jodhpur was among 309 municipal bodies that participated in Rajasthan’s 2026 Urban Local Body elections.
Ajmer District Collector Lok Bandhu said elaborate arrangements had been made for the counting process.
“Comprehensive arrangements are in place. First, the postal ballots received will be counted. Simultaneously, in municipal corporations where postal ballots are not involved, vote counting via EVMs has begun from 8:00 am,” Bandhu said.
He added that six counting halls had been established and entry was restricted to authorised counting agents, candidates and election agents carrying valid passes. Mobile phones have been prohibited inside the counting rooms.
“Section 163 has been imposed, prohibiting victory processions of any kind,” the District Collector said.
The counting comes a day after the Rajasthan State Election Commission ordered repolling at a booth in Tilawala, Sanganer, following an incident in which 110 voters whose names appeared on the deletion list cast their votes during polling on September 11.
The repoll is scheduled at Government Upper Primary School, Tilawala, from 7 am to 6 pm.
The second and final phase of polling concluded on Friday with a voter turnout of 70.01 per cent across 147 civic bodies. With this, polling for all 309 Urban Local Bodies in Rajasthan has been completed. The election of chairpersons is scheduled for September 21, followed by deputy chairperson elections on September 22. (ANI)
Vote counting begins for Rajasthan municipal polls amid tight security
