Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], September 12 : Jaipur Congress President Sunil Sharma on Saturday asserted that the party is poised to secure an absolute majority, while launching a scathing critique of the ruling BJP's governance and electoral tactics ahead of local civic body formations.
Speaking to ANI, Sharma accused the ruling party of relying on division rather than performance and stated that the opposition had failed to deliver basic civic amenities such as effective waste management and repairs to road infrastructure.
He said, "Let me tell you, we are going to form the board, and we will do so with an absolute majority...we will collectively determine our future strategy...BJP is a champion at political manoeuvring and stealing mandates...the Congress is winning the majority of seats in the constituencies of both the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister. This is a massive moral victory for the Congress, while the BJP is heading towards a moral defeat.
"Had they actually done any work, they would have highlighted measures taken for waste disposal or the repair of dilapidated roads," Sharma said, adding, "Instead, they turned to the politics of hatred, which in itself was a clear indication that they were losing the election."
Claiming a strong electoral showing even in the home constituencies of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, the Jaipur Congress chief termed the results a massive moral defeat for the saffron party and alleged that the BJP specialised in political engineering to undermine public mandates.
“Instead, they turned to the politics of hatred, which in itself was a clear indication that they were losing the election...nevertheless, we will undoubtedly welcome the support of anyone who wishes to back the Congress based on principles. The Congress always stands ready with open arms, we would like anyone who agrees with the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru to support the Congress," Sunil Sharma said.
On Friday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma cast his vote along with his wife at a polling station in Getor, Jagatpura, and urged people to participate in the second and final phase of the Rajasthan Urban Local Body Elections 2026, saying that every vote is important in the “festival of democracy.”
Sharma cast his vote at the polling station set up at Navodaya Teacher Training College and appealed to citizens to exercise their franchise and elect representatives to their urban local bodies.
“First of all, I would like to appeal to the people of Rajasthan that this is a festival of democracy. In this festival of democracy, every single vote of ours carries immense importance. Therefore, I urge all brothers and sisters to cast their votes and fully elect their urban local bodies so that our development can take place,” Sharma said.
The Chief Minister also highlighted his government's implementation of the 'One State, One Election' initiative in Rajasthan, claiming that frequent elections under the previous Congress government resulted in wastage of public money and repeatedly brought development work to a halt due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct.
“When we came into government, we stated that we would end this system, because within Rajasthan, the Model Code of Conduct was being imposed every three months, bringing development to a halt,” he said.
Sharma said his government had fulfilled its commitment to introduce 'One State, One Election' despite hurdles and legal challenges.
“We fulfilled our resolve for 'One State, One Election,' and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajasthan is continuously moving forward,” he said.
He urged voters to choose development over caste and religion and backed the BJP's “triple-engine” government model.
“Genuine development looks at neither caste nor religion; it benefits everyone equally. The Bharatiya Janata Party has been consistently working for you. With a 'triple-engine' government, comprehensive development will be assured,” Sharma said.
Polling for the second and final phase was held across 147 urban local bodies, comprising six municipal corporations, 20 municipal councils and 121 municipalities. Voting was held from 7 am to 6 pm.
According to the State Election Commission, 18,266 candidates contested the elections, with around 87.60 lakh voters eligible to cast their ballots. Counting of votes is scheduled to be held on September 14.