Bikaner, September 22, 2026: The Congress has retained control of the Bikaner Municipal Corporation after its candidate Anil Kalla defeated BJP nominee Surendra Singh Shekhawat in the mayoral election held on September 21.
Kalla secured 50 votes, while Shekhawat received 30 votes in the 80-member municipal corporation, giving the Congress candidate a 20-vote margin. The result makes Bikaner the only municipal corporation among the major Rajasthan civic contests where Congress secured the mayor’s post in this round of elections.
Congress Holds Majority in Bikaner
The result followed the recent urban local-body elections in which Congress won 42 of Bikaner’s 80 wards. The BJP won 27 wards, while Independents secured 10 and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) won one ward. With 41 votes required for a majority in the 80-member House, Congress entered the mayoral contest with a numerical advantage.
Kalla’s final tally of 50 votes was eight higher than Congress’s elected strength of 42, indicating that he received support from councillors outside the Congress group. Reports indicate that seven Independents and the lone RLP councillor supported Kalla, while three Independents voted for the BJP candidate.
Internal Congress Contest Before the Election
The mayoral election also involved an internal challenge within Congress. Navratan Daga, a Congress councillor from Ward 50, had initially filed his nomination for the mayor’s post against the party’s official candidate.
Daga was reportedly supported by several councillors, creating uncertainty within the party ahead of the election. Senior Congress leaders subsequently intervened, and Daga withdrew his candidature before the mayoral vote, leaving Kalla as the party’s official candidate.
The withdrawal helped the Congress consolidate its councillor base before the final vote.
Kalla Receives Support Beyond Congress
The final voting pattern was notable because Kalla received substantially more votes than the Congress’s 42-member strength.
According to reports, seven Independent councillors and the RLP’s lone councillor supported Kalla. The BJP’s Shekhawat also received support beyond the party’s 27 councillors, with three Independents voting for him.
The result demonstrates the role that Independent and smaller-party councillors can play in mayoral elections, particularly when the final contest involves a direct vote among elected members.
BJP’s Challenge
The BJP entered the Bikaner mayoral contest with 27 councillors, compared with Congress’s 42. Surendra Singh Shekhawat was the party’s mayoral candidate.
Although the BJP secured the mayoral positions in several other Rajasthan municipal corporations, including Ajmer, Alwar, Udaipur and Pali, its candidate did not secure enough votes in Bikaner to defeat Kalla. BJP candidates were also elected unopposed in Bharatpur and Bhilwara.
Political Significance
Bikaner’s result stands out within the wider Rajasthan urban local-body elections, where the BJP has secured a large number of mayoral and chairperson positions.
The Bikaner outcome, however, reflects the local political composition of the corporation. Congress entered the mayoral election with the largest number of elected councillors and ultimately secured additional support from councillors outside the party.
The result also shows that statewide civic-election trends do not necessarily produce identical outcomes in every municipal corporation. Local councillor numbers, candidate selection, internal party dynamics and support from Independents can all affect the final mayoral vote.
Kalla’s Response
Following his victory, Anil Kalla said the result reflected the mandate of Bikaner’s people and stated that the Congress administration would focus on the city’s development and civic problems.
The new mayor will oversee the municipal corporation’s responsibilities relating to urban civic administration and local development.
Rajasthan Civic Elections Continue
The Bikaner result forms part of the larger Rajasthan urban local-body election process. Results across municipal corporations and other urban local bodies have produced different political outcomes, with BJP, Congress and Independent candidates securing leadership positions in different areas.
The mayoral elections for Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota remain scheduled for September 25, meaning the Rajasthan civic-election process will continue to attract political attention in the coming days.
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