BJP single-largest party in Rajasthan urban polls, denied sweep by Independents

Jaipur: Independents emerged as the decisive force in Rajasthan’s urban local body elections, limiting BJP’s gains and keeping Congress competitive across several towns. BJP finished as the single largest party, but the scale of independent victories turned many civic bodies into arenas for post-poll negotiation rather than clear mandates.According to final figures uploaded on the State Election Commission website, results had been declared in 10,235 of 10,244 wards by late Monday, with BJP winning 4,179, Congress 3,613 and independents picking up 2,273 to collectively take third position and establish themselves as potential kingmakers in urban local bodies where neither major party managed to cross the majority mark.At the urban local body level, BJP secured majorities in four municipal corporations – Jaipur, Bhilwara, Kota and Udaipur – and emerged as the single largest party in Alwar.