Karauli Civic Polls: Congress Secures Council Seat While BJP Makes Gains Across Districts

Karauli. The highly anticipated results for the municipal body elections in Karauli were officially announced on Monday, revealing a diverse political landscape across the district. Out of the six local bodies that went to the polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party secured victory in three, while the Congress party claimed two, and an independent candidate captured the remaining seat. This outcome follows the earlier uncontested election of Vijay Kumari Chaturvedi as the chairperson of the Hindaun City Municipal Council.

In the closely watched Karauli Municipal Council, Congress candidate Sunil Saini emerged as the new chairperson. With a total of 55 wards, Saini secured 30 votes, comfortably defeating his BJP rival Virendra Sharma, who managed to garner 25 votes. The results were formally declared by Returning Officer Rakesh Kumar Rawat, triggering celebrations among Congress supporters who marked the win with fireworks and sweets. Security arrangements were strictly maintained throughout the process under the supervision of Additional District Magistrate Jagdish Gaur and Additional Superintendent of Police Ramkumar Kaswa.

The Sapotra Municipal Board saw a decisive victory for the BJP, as Sapna Bairwa defeated Congress candidate Kavita Mahawar by a significant margin of 12 votes. Out of the 20 councilors who cast their ballots, Bairwa received 16 votes compared to the 4 votes secured by her opponent. Returning Officer Anup Singh administered the oath of office to the newly elected chairperson, with local MLA Hansraj Meena describing the result as a clear mandate of public trust.

A major political upset occurred in the Todabhim Municipal Board, where independent candidate Lalita Devi secured a landslide victory against the BJP's Jyoti Mahawar. In a house of 35 councilors, Lalita Devi claimed 26 votes, leaving the BJP candidate with only 9. Meanwhile, the contests in Mandrayal and Suroth were decided by narrow margins of two votes each. In Mandrayal, Congress candidate Tulsa Jatav defeated BJP's Shakuntala Dhobi, while in Suroth, which held its first-ever municipal election, BJP's Kamala Mahawar defeated Somoti Mahawar. The focus now shifts to the upcoming elections for deputy chairperson positions, scheduled for September 22.