Rajasthan's Bhilwara District Prepares for Multi-Cornered Municipal Elections

In the municipal elections in Rajasthan, elections are to be held in 10 municipalities as well as one municipal corporation in Bhilwara district. In the 70-ward municipal corporation of the city, the BJP has fielded official candidates in all the wards, while the Congress is in the fray in 53 wards with the party's official symbol. There are about 229 independent candidates in the fray. According to the data available after the withdrawal of nominations, a total of 352 candidates are left in the fray. This number has made the electoral contest multi-cornered in many wards. Independent candidates can be a challenge for both the BJP and the Congress, especially in wards where discontent or rebellion has emerged after ticket distribution. Bhilwara is counted among the cities with a strong political base of the BJP. But this time the challenge before the party is to handle the challenge from within in some wards. After the discontentment, rebel candidates and local factional fights, the central leadership of the BJP has been constantly emphasizing the need to keep the party in check.