NATHDWARA — In a stunning political turnaround that diverged sharply from broader regional trends across Southern Rajasthan, the Indian National Congress has registered a landslide victory in the Nathdwara Nagar Palika (Municipal Board) elections. Defying the BJP sweeps witnessed in neighboring civic bodies, Congress secured a commanding three-fourths majority by capturing 29 out of the total 40 municipal wards. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was relegated to 10 wards, while an independent candidate triumphed in one ward.
đź“Š Nathdwara Municipal Election: Final Tally at a Glance
- Total Wards Declared: 40 / 40 wards
- Indian National Congress (INC): 29 Seats (Landslide Three-Fourths Majority)
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 10 Seats
- Independent Candidates (IND): 1 Seat (Ward 17)
- Halfway Majority Barrier: 21 Seats
- Key Outcome: Congress comfortably crosses the majority barrier to form the municipal board and elect the Municipal Chairman (Nagar Palika Adhyaksh) without external reliance.
Congress Sweeps Nathdwara Municipality with Landslide 29-Seat Win
The decisive outcome in Nathdwara represents one of the most prominent victories for the Congress in the 2026 Rajasthan municipal elections. Polling across the 40 wards of the holy temple town of Shrinathji was conducted in two phases on September 9 and September 11. As vote tabulation concluded on Monday, September 14, Congress nominees established continuous leads across residential colonies, heritage temple quarters, and outer urban extensions alike.
Following the declaration of the 29th seat, celebratory scenes erupted throughout Nathdwara, with party workers dancing to dhol beats, bursting firecrackers, and waving party flags outside the Congress election office. The mandate firmly establishes Congress’s unassisted authority to install the next Chairperson (Nagar Palika Adhyaksh) and Vice-Chairperson.
Decisive Reversal from Regional Mewar Trends
Significantly, the Nathdwara verdict presents a stark contrast to neighboring civic bodies in the Mewar belt. While the BJP retained a commanding seventh consecutive term in the Udaipur Nagar Nigam election results and clinched an absolute majority of 27 seats in the Rajsamand Nagar Parishad election, Nathdwara delivered an overwhelming counter-verdict in favor of Congress. Political analysts attribute this divergent mandate to strong local leadership, candidate acceptability, and anti-incumbency against the opposition at the municipal ward level.
Complete Ward-by-Ward Winners Breakdown Across 40 Wards
Below is the complete official ward-by-ward list of declared winners and party affiliations for all 40 municipal seats in Nathdwara Nagar Palika:
| Ward | Elected Candidate | Party | Ward | Elected Candidate | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ward 1 | Chunni Lal | INC | Ward 21 | Manish Rathi | INC |
| Ward 2 | Surendra Singh Dasana | INC | Ward 22 | Dinesh M. Joshi | INC |
| Ward 3 | Ashish Saini | BJP | Ward 23 | Gopesh Bagora | INC |
| Ward 4 | Manorama Dabi | INC | Ward 24 | Bharat Lodha | INC |
| Ward 5 | Yamuna Paliwal | BJP | Ward 25 | Mohammad Shafi | BJP |
| Ward 6 | Vinod Upadhyay | BJP | Ward 26 | Rekha Meena | INC |
| Ward 7 | Vandana Paliwal | INC | Ward 27 | Pradeep Kabra | BJP |
| Ward 8 | Ritika Gurjar | INC | Ward 28 | Yashoda Devi Kumawat | INC |
| Ward 9 | Shyam Lal Gurjar | INC | Ward 29 | Prakash Lohar | INC |
| Ward 10 | Sheela Gurjar | INC | Ward 30 | Sheshnarayan Mali | INC |
| Ward 11 | Pramod Kumar Gurjar | INC | Ward 31 | Rohit Kumwat | INC |
| Ward 12 | Natwar Lal Meena | INC | Ward 32 | Divya Gehlot | INC |
| Ward 13 | Ratan Das | INC | Ward 33 | Kamlesh Kumawat | INC |
| Ward 14 | Laxmi Devi Shnwariya | INC | Ward 34 | Lalita Kabra | BJP |
| Ward 15 | Kapil Yadav | BJP | Ward 35 | Ujjwal Lawati | INC |
| Ward 16 | Suresh Chhaparwal | INC | Ward 36 | Ishwar Lal Meena | BJP |
| Ward 17 | Paresh Soni | IND | Ward 37 | Sheetal Paliwal | INC |
| Ward 18 | Vishwas Prajapat | INC | Ward 38 | Puran Prakash Shrimali | BJP |
| Ward 19 | Kailash Tanwar | INC | Ward 39 | Chandra Kala Mali | BJP |
| Ward 20 | Ramesh Rathore | INC | Ward 40 | Kanchan Devi | INC |
BJP Restricted to 10 Seats as Independents Claim Single Ward
For the Bharatiya Janata Party, the outcome in Nathdwara proved to be a sobering disappointment. The saffron party secured victories in only 10 wards—notably in Wards 3, 5, 6, 15, 25, 27, 34, 36, 38, and 39. Despite aggressive campaigning by regional leaders, the party failed to convert its state-level governing momentum into civic seats in the holy township.
Furthermore, in Ward 17, independent candidate Paresh Soni emerged victorious in a hard-fought triangular contest, defeating nominees from both major national parties. Soni will stand as the sole independent voice in the 40-member municipal assembly.
CP Joshi’s Grassroots Bastion Proves Resilient
Nathdwara has long been recognized as the political fortress of former Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker and senior Congress heavyweight Dr. C.P. Joshi. Although Joshi suffered an unexpected defeat in the 2023 state assembly elections, the municipal results unequivocally prove that his local grassroots network, development legacy, and constituency patronage remain formidable forces in town politics.
Local Congress leadership highlighted that key municipal infrastructure developed during previous tenures—including broad bypass transit roads, modern parking facilities, water distribution improvements, and lighting projects around the Shrinathji temple—created lasting goodwill that directly fueled the party’s sweep across 29 wards.
Counting Operations and Administrative Smooth Conduct
The vote counting operations began promptly at 8:00 AM on Monday under tight security measures overseen by the Rajsamand District Administration and police authorities. Tabulation across all 40 ward EVMs was executed methodically across designated counting rounds.
Returning officers confirmed that counting concluded without any procedural complaints or law-and-order disturbances. Official victory certificates were handed over to all winning councilors at the counting center following the final verification of vote tallies.
What Lies Ahead: Chairman Election and Civic Priorities for the Temple Town
With an unassailable majority of 29 members, Congress will convene its municipal party meeting to formally pick the Chairperson (Nagar Palika Adhyaksh) and Vice-Chairperson. The commanding mandate ensures an unhindered governance term without fear of cross-voting or coalition instabilities.
The incoming civic administration faces significant development tasks tailored to Nathdwara’s status as a premier pilgrimage destination:
- Pilgrim Amenities and Crowd Management: Upgrading queue shelters, sanitation complexes, and drinking water kiosks around the Shrinathji Temple perimeter to handle massive festive footfalls.
- Traffic & EV Parking Infrastructure: Expanding designated parking zones on town entry corridors and promoting eco-friendly battery-operated transit shuttles.
- Heritage Town Beautification: Restoring traditional facades, standardizing bazaar signage, and undergrounding utility cables across the walled core.
- Solid Waste & Slurry Processing: Enhancing door-to-door waste collection and mechanized cleaning along the Banas river basin.
Stay tuned to Udaipur Mirror for continued reporting on Rajasthan local body elections, regional governance, and municipal leadership developments.