Jaipur, Sep 26 — BJP candidate Saroj Kanwar was elected Deputy Mayor of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation on Saturday, becoming the first woman to hold the post. She defeated Congress candidate Salman Mansoori.
Out of 150 councillors, 149 cast their votes, with Congress councillor Vandita Sharma unable to vote due to a leg injury. Kanwar secured 89 votes, while Mansoori received 58. One vote was cast for NOTA, and another was declared invalid.
Kanwar entered electoral politics by contesting the councillor election for the first time. Following her victory, she rose directly to the post of Deputy Mayor. She is the wife of Ranjeet Singh Sodala, a former BJP state secretary and state president of the Ravna Rajput community. The BJP had fielded her as its candidate for the councillor election.
Celebrations broke out outside the Municipal Corporation headquarters after the result was announced. BJP workers and supporters lifted Sodala onto their shoulders amid the jubilant scenes.
A total of 149 councillors participated in the voting, which took place under tight security. Police personnel were deployed at the entrance, and councillors were allowed inside only after security checks. Mayor Sunil Kothari also arrived at the headquarters to cast his vote.
The Deputy Mayor election followed the recently concluded mayoral election, in which BJP’s Sunil Kothari was elected Mayor of Jaipur. Both BJP and Congress had kept their councillors together at designated camps during the mayoral election period. The councillors returned to the Corporation headquarters for the Deputy Mayor election.
The BJP had also reached out to independent councillors ahead of the voting and claimed their support. The final vote count confirmed Kanwar’s victory by 31 votes over the Congress candidate. She is expected to assume office shortly, with several BJP leaders present for the occasion.