Jaipur, Sep 18 — A political controversy has erupted over the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation mayoral election after Independent candidate Vichitra Singh withdrew her nomination, clearing the way for BJP candidate Anuradha Singh to be elected unopposed.
Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, termed the development “extremely unfortunate and condemnable” and alleged that the Independent candidate was intimidated into withdrawing her nomination.
In a post on X, Gehlot alleged that the administration had intimidated Vichitra Singh at her business premises a day before her withdrawal and claimed that Rajasthan Minister of State for Home, Jawahar Singh Bedham, subsequently met her and facilitated the withdrawal.
Gehlot also alleged that the BJP government and administration were using their machinery to influence the mayoral election.
He claimed that the people of Bharatpur had rejected the BJP, pointing out that the party had won only 20 of the 65 councillor seats in the civic body.
According to Gehlot, despite the BJP not having a majority of councillors, efforts were being made to install a BJP mayor through what he described as undemocratic means.
He accused the Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma government of setting a “new precedent” through the alleged misuse of government machinery.
Vichitra Singh had entered the Bharatpur mayoral race as an Independent candidate, and it was reported that she had the backing of the Congress. Her candidature had set the stage for a contest against BJP nominee Anuradha Singh. However, the electoral contest changed dramatically after Vichitra Singh withdrew her nomination on Thursday.
Rajasthan Congress President, Govind Singh Dotasra, also launched a direct attack on the BJP and the Bhajanlal Sharma government, alleging that events in the Chief Minister’s home district of Bharatpur unfolded exactly as the Congress had feared.
In a post on X, Dotasra alleged that the BJP, having been rejected by voters in Bharatpur, “murdered democracy” by misusing state power and police machinery to install its own mayor. Dotasra pointed out that the BJP had won only 20 of the 65 councillor seats in the Bharatpur Municipal Corporation.
He alleged that, despite lacking a majority, the ruling party used the power of the government and administration to engineer the mayoral election in its favour. According to Dotasra, Congress-backed Independent candidate Vichitra Singh had a clear numerical advantage and her election as mayor appeared certain.
He alleged that instead of respecting the electoral mandate, Chief Minister Sharma sent a government minister to put pressure on the Independent candidate and ensure that she withdrew her nomination. He alleged that the withdrawal of Vichitra Singh’s nomination has exposed the BJP government’s attempt to overturn the mandate of Bharatpur’s voters through the use of government machinery.
The Congress leader demanded that the BJP government respect the democratic mandate and questioned the circumstances under which the Independent candidate withdrew from the mayoral contest.
With Vichitra Singh’s withdrawal leaving BJP candidate Anuradha Singh as the sole contender, the Bharatpur mayoral election has become a fresh flashpoint between the BJP government and the Congress, with the Opposition alleging political coercion and misuse of administrative machinery.
According to reports cited in connection with the development, Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham held a meeting with Vichitra Singh that lasted nearly two hours before she withdrew her nomination. Following the meeting, Bedham also met Vichitra Singh’s husband, former Bharatpur Mayor Shiv Singh Bhont, in connection with the election.
The circumstances surrounding the withdrawal have become a political flashpoint, with the Congress questioning whether the candidate was subjected to pressure. Following Vichitra Singh’s withdrawal, BJP candidate Anuradha Singh became the sole candidate in the mayoral race.
After withdrawing her nomination, Vichitra Singh said she wanted to play a significant role in Bharatpur’s development and had taken the decision with that objective in mind.
The episode has intensified the political confrontation in Rajasthan, with the Congress alleging coercion and misuse of administrative machinery, while the withdrawal itself has paved the way for the BJP candidate’s unopposed election.