Kota votes BJP in mayoral race as Rajasthan civic polls conclude

BJP swept Rajasthan's urban local body elections, with Anusuiya Goswami winning the Kota mayoral position by a commanding margin over the Congress candidate. The party now holds mayors in nine of the state's ten municipal corporations after back-to-back victories in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota. The election cycle was also marked by EVM-related glitches at booths in Kota and other cities, while a separate incident saw a leopard rescued from the city's Chattar Villas Garden after a three-hour operation.

Anusuiya Goswami elected Kota mayor as BJP defeats Congress by wide margin

BJP's Anusuiya Goswami was elected mayor of Kota following the Rajasthan urban local body polls, defeating the Congress party candidate in a decisive civic contest. Goswami secured 65 votes in the mayoral election against Congress candidate Sunita Suman, who received 35 votes, giving BJP a near two-to-one majority in the Kota race. The result placed BJP firmly in control of Kota's top municipal position, continuing the party's strong run in Rajasthan's urban civic elections. Simultaneously with the Kota declaration, BJP's Sunil Kothari was announced the winner of the Jaipur mayoral race, while the Jodhpur contest remained ongoing at the time of Mid-Day's report. The civic polling was not without controversy, with protests erupting outside the Jaipur Municipal Corporation after allegations of irregularities emerged during the voting process. Demonstrators gathered at the corporation building to demand scrutiny of the Jaipur election's conduct, raising concerns about procedural lapses. Goswami's 65-vote tally against Suman's 35 reflected a comfortable hold on the Kota electoral college among the councillors casting mayoral ballots. Her election marked another step in BJP's consolidation of power across Rajasthan's urban local bodies. [2]

BJP secures nine of ten Rajasthan mayors after Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota sweep

BJP secured mayoral victories in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota in the Rajasthan urban local body elections, completing a sweeping performance that extended the party's hold over the state's key municipal corporations. In the Jaipur Municipal Corporation mayoral election, BJP candidate Sunil Kothari secured 89 votes, comfortably ahead of the Congress candidate who received 60 votes, with one vote going to the NOTA option in that race. The Jodhpur and Kota contests similarly concluded with BJP candidates elected as mayors, rounding out a clean sweep of the three most closely watched municipal corporation results. With these three victories, BJP now holds the mayoral seat in nine out of Rajasthan's ten municipal corporations, cementing its dominance at the urban local government level statewide. The scale of the BJP's performance across Rajasthan's cities reflects the party's continued electoral strength among the councillors who make up the mayoral electoral college in each corporation. BJP's near-complete hold over the state's municipal corporations places the party in a strong position to steer urban governance priorities across the state's major cities. The Jaipur result, with Kothari receiving 89 votes against 60 for Congress and one for NOTA, underscored the depth of BJP's majority in that corporation's governing body. The three victories taken together represent a significant consolidation of civic power for the BJP in Rajasthan's urban centres. [1]

EVM glitches disrupt voting at Kota and other Rajasthan booths in final civic poll phase

Electronic voting machine glitches disrupted polling at several booths during the second and final phase of Rajasthan's urban local body elections, with disruptions recorded in Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, Kota, Pushkar and other locations. The EVM-related malfunctions interfered with normal voting at the affected booths, triggering protests from voters and party workers who demanded resolution before polling could resume. Officials confirmed the disruptions and indicated efforts were underway to restore voting, though the technical failures caused delays for voters who had arrived to cast their ballots. The second and final phase commenced at 7 am, with residents across 147 urban local bodies in Rajasthan heading to polling stations as the election entered its concluding stage. More than 87 lakh voters were eligible to participate, deciding the fates of 18,266 candidates contesting positions across these urban local bodies. Voting was scheduled to continue until 6 pm, giving the electorate a full day at the polls despite the early morning disruptions at a number of booths. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla cast his vote during this phase at a polling station in Kota, with his participation drawing media attention to the city's role in the civic polls. Kota was among the cities where EVM issues were reported, alongside Jaipur, Jhunjhunu and Pushkar, in the closing phase of Rajasthan's urban civic polls. [9]

Leopard rescued from Kota's Chattar Villas Garden after three-hour operation

A leopard strayed into Chattar Villas Garden, a public park in Kota, setting off a wildlife rescue operation after morning visitors encountered the large wild cat during their regular exercise routines. The leopard's unexpected presence in the public garden caused considerable panic among morning walkers and fitness enthusiasts who were using the park when the animal appeared. The leopard climbed a 40-foot mango tree within the garden grounds, taking a position that presented challenges for the rescue teams assembled to extract the animal safely. Wildlife officials and rescue personnel organised a coordinated response to bring the leopard down from the tall mango tree without causing injury to the animal or risk to the rescue workers. The operation required three hours of sustained effort before teams were able to successfully administer a tranquiliser to the leopard. Officials safely tranquilised the animal during the operation, with the procedure conducted carefully to minimise stress and ensure the leopard's wellbeing throughout the extraction. Once tranquilised, the leopard was brought down from the 40-foot mango tree and removed from Chattar Villas Garden. The rescued animal was subsequently shifted to Abheda Biological Park in Kota, a wildlife facility where it could be assessed and given professional care following the rescue. [10]

Sources: [2] Mid-Day · [1] newindianexpress.com · [9] DT Next · [10] Telangana Today