Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: The political noise across Rajasthan has now moved from campaign stages to polling booths. Voters in 162 urban local bodies began casting their ballots at 7 am on Wednesday, September 9, in the first phase of the State’s 2026 civic elections. More than 57 lakh voters are eligible to decide the fate of 20,623 candidates competing for 5,393 councillor seats. Polling will continue until 6 pm.
The first phase covers four municipal corporations, Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner and Bhilwara, along with 27 municipal councils and 131 municipalities. The election is part of a larger two-phase exercise covering all 309 urban local bodies in Rajasthan, with the second round scheduled for September 11 and counting set for September 14.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections Live Update
The scale of the election makes Wednesday’s voting particularly significant. Officials have arranged 7,683 polling booths for the first phase, where 57,52,278 voters can exercise their franchise.
The election is also being conducted on an unusually large statewide scale. Rajasthan is holding polls for all 309 urban local bodies together in two phases, a departure from the staggered municipal election cycles seen in earlier years. The State Election Commission has scheduled counting for all 309 bodies simultaneously from 8 am on September 14.
This statewide format has turned what would normally be a series of local contests into a broader political assessment of the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: Rajasthan Civic Polls First Phase
The first phase of the Rajasthan civic elections is taking place on September 9 from 7 am to 6 pm. Alwar, Bharatpur, Bikaner and Bhilwara are among the four municipal corporations voting in this phase. Polling is also taking place across 27 municipal councils and 131 municipalities.
In Jaipur district, 18 urban local bodies are voting, with polling arranged at 565 booths. The first phase has attracted a large number of candidates, making it a significant contest for both the BJP and Congress.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: Rajasthan Civic Polls Second Phase
The second phase of the Rajasthan urban local body elections will take place on September 11. The Jaipur Municipal Corporation is among the major civic bodies scheduled to vote in this phase. The second round will complete polling across the remaining urban local bodies after the first phase on September 9.
The BJP and Congress will look to maximise their support in the second phase as both parties compete for control of municipal boards and corporations across the state.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: Rajasthan Civic Polls Result Date
The counting of votes for Rajasthan’s urban local body elections will take place on September 14. The results will cover all 309 urban local bodies participating in the two-phase election, including 10,245 wards. The outcome will be closely watched because it will provide an indication of the political mood among Rajasthan’s urban voters.
For Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and the BJP, the results will offer an important measure of the government’s performance, while Congress will seek to use the election to strengthen its position against the ruling party.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: Jaipur District Sees Voting in 18 Urban Bodies
Jaipur city itself will not vote in the first phase because the Jaipur Municipal Corporation will participate on September 11. However, 18 other urban local bodies in Jaipur district are voting on Wednesday.
These include Manoharpur, Phulera, Sambhar, Naraina, Kishangarh-Renwal, Shahpura, Dudu, Chaksu, Phagi, Jobner, Khejroli, Jamwaramgarh, Vatika, Kanota, Bassi, Bagru, Kaladera and Chomu.
Polling in these areas is taking place across 565 booths. Authorities have also identified 152 polling stations across Jaipur district’s 18 civic bodies as critical and have planned additional security and monitoring at these locations.
The Jaipur Municipal Corporation, which has 150 wards, will vote in the second phase on September 11.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: BJP Gains Early Advantage With Unopposed Wins
The BJP enters the voting phase with an early advantage in the form of candidates who have already secured seats without a contest.
A total of 77 candidates were elected unopposed before polling began. The BJP accounted for 44 of those victories, while Congress secured 16. Independents won another 17 seats. Women made up 37 of the 77 unopposed winners.
The unopposed results have already highlighted differences in the organisational strength of the two main parties across several municipalities.
However, the larger contest will be decided through voting on September 9 and 11, with thousands of candidates still fighting for the remaining councillor seats.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: Why These Elections Matter for Bhajan Lal Sharma?
For Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, the municipal elections represent an important test of his government’s popularity after roughly two and a half years in office.
The BJP has treated the campaign as a statewide political exercise. Sharma has travelled across several cities for roadshows and public meetings, while senior BJP leaders and ministers have also campaigned in different parts of the state. The party has focused heavily on booth-level mobilisation as voting approaches.
The elections are particularly important because urban voters have traditionally been viewed as a strong support base for the BJP. The results could therefore provide the party with an early indication of whether its organisation and government messaging are resonating with urban voters.
The contest also carries significance for Congress, which is seeking to challenge the BJP’s hold over urban Rajasthan and rebuild its grassroots organisation.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: BJP Steps Up Action Against Rebels
The municipal contest has also exposed internal competition within the BJP.
The party expelled 41 leaders and workers for six years after they either contested against official BJP candidates or supported independents. Twenty-six of those expelled leaders and workers came from Jaipur.
The action reflects the importance the BJP has attached to controlling rebel candidates and maintaining organisational discipline during the civic contest.
For both major parties, independent candidates could also become important after the results, particularly in municipalities where neither side secures a clear majority.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: First Large-Scale Simultaneous Civic Contest
Rajasthan’s decision to conduct elections for all 309 urban local bodies in two phases has given the 2026 contest a much wider political dimension.
The state has 10,245 councillor seats across 10 municipal corporations, 51 municipal councils and 248 municipalities. Voting will take place on September 9 and 11, followed by counting on September 14.
The election is being viewed in the context of the BJP’s broader “one nation, one election” strategy, while the statewide format also gives voters an opportunity to judge local governance and the performance of political parties at the grassroots level.
Unlike earlier municipal elections, which often took place in separate cycles and kept political parties campaigning over extended periods, the current schedule concentrates the contest into a short electoral window.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: Jaipur Becomes a Separate Political Battle
While 18 urban bodies in Jaipur district are voting in the first phase, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation will face voters in the second phase.
The JMC contest has already attracted attention because the BJP decided to field eight Muslim candidates. The move marks a shift from the party’s earlier approach in the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan, when it did not field Muslim candidates.
The response from Muslim voters could therefore become one of the factors to watch when the JMC votes on September 11.
Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections: What Happens After Voting?
The first phase will conclude at 6 pm on September 9. Voters in the remaining urban local bodies, including the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, will cast their ballots on September 11.
The Rajasthan State Election Commission will begin counting votes for all 309 urban local bodies at 8 am on September 14. The results will provide a statewide picture of the performance of the BJP, Congress and independent candidates.
The outcome will also offer political parties an important measure of their grassroots strength before Rajasthan’s next Assembly election.
For the BJP government led by Bhajan Lal Sharma, the results could either reinforce its claim of continued urban support or expose areas where voters are looking for a political alternative. For Congress, the contest offers an opportunity to demonstrate that it can compete effectively beyond its traditional strongholds and regain ground in Rajasthan’s cities.
