Rajasthan: Congress, BJP field Gen Z and OBC candidates in urban body polls

The BJP government headed by Bhajan Lal Sharma in Rajasthan is facing its first stiff test since it assumed power in 2023 in the long-deferred urban body elections scheduled in two phases on 9 and 11 September. The results are expected on 14 September. Both urban body and panchayat polls were being put off on one pretext or the other until the state government was forced to hold the election by orders of the high court.  

The civic poll is seen by the BJP as a major test of the state government’s public standing and robustness of the organisation in view of recent protests in the state by Gen Z on unemployment, poor conditions of government school buildings and the government's failure to provide employment in rural areas under the rechristened MNREGA, now called Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana. A win by the BJP will enable it to shrug off mounting criticism and brush aside the threats from a resurgent Congress and an incipient Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). 

The 20.98 crore person-days of employment generated during 2025-26 reflect a sharp decline from the 31.56 crore person-days generated in 2023-24. The decline has continued in the current year. While this has angered people in rural areas, urban youth too are upset because the promised unemployment allowances have not been paid to them for several months now.  

This CJP’s School Theek Karo campaign too showed up the BJP government which will be completing three years in office in December this year in poor light. With the Gen Z voting population estimated at 18 per cent in the state, BJP has fielded 49 per cent of the party’s candidates to younger people. 

The Congress, too, has fielded 41 per cent candidates who belong to Gen Z. Upset at being denied re-nomination, many of the older BJP candidates have rebelled and are contesting the election as independent candidates. Many of them have refused to withdraw from the fray despite persuasion by senior leaders, giving BJP the jitters. 

The gravity of the situation prompted the BJP leadership to deploy teams from Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana. Organisation secretary B.L. Santhosh was rushed to Jaipur and the chief minister was advised to intensify the campaign by visiting divisional and district headquarters and hold road shows in cities. This is probably the first time that a chief minister is campaigning so hard in local body election. Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot commented that fear of losing had prompted the BJP to press both party machinery and government resources to campaign for it.  

“The chief minister’s extensive campaigning reflects the government’s concern over growing public dissatisfaction. The chief minister is going with folded hands to the people as his government has failed to deliver in the last two-and-a-half years. The condition of roads, poor sanitation and growing slums in the city are all testimony to the failure of the government,” Gehlot said.

Why was the BJP bringing leaders and ministers from Delhi, Mumbai and other states to campaign when it claims it has done enough to form a 'triple engine government’ in the state, he wondered. Gen Z, he added, had exposed the corruption in the administration and highlighted the discontinuation of welfare initiatives launched during the Congress' tenure, he claimed. 

There are 38,929 candidates in the fray with 18,184 from various OBC communities reflecting the state's 45 per cent OBC population. While OBCs have reserved seats for both men and women, both BJP and the Congress have fielded OBC candidates from general seats as well, and number-wise, there are twice as many OBC candidates as those from general categories.  

The CJP, contrary to expectations on the ground, has kept away from the poll and has not been campaigning for any party. CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka avoided the state and kept himself confined to Delhi. However, the nomination of such a large number of Gen Z candidates by both the BJP and Congress proves that they have made their point, Congress candidate Dilip Saini pointed out.