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The election for the Municipal Council Chairperson post in the pilgrimage town of Khatushyamji was indefinitely postponed on Monday when Congress candidate and councillor from Ward No. 10, Lakshmi Devi, failed to show up at the polling booth, Khatushyamji Municipality Returning Officer Kapil Upadhyay said.
According to Upadhyay, the ballot boxes were sealed following instructions from the State Election Commission as the voting process could not be completed. He confirmed that a revised date for polling will be declared only after the missing candidate is located. "Today, the voting process was underway for the election of the Chairperson of Khatushyamji Municipality as part of the Urban Local Body Elections 2026. In accordance with the instructions issued by the State Election Commission, the election process for the posts of both Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of Khatushyamji Municipality has been postponed until further orders," he said. There had been a buzz of activity in both the BJP and Congress camps since morning regarding the election. A tense atmosphere prevailed among the supporters and leaders of both parties during the voting period. The situation became uncertain when Congress candidate Lakshmi Devi did not turn up at the polling station. Meanwhile, her family members demanded that a kidnapping case be registered. Amidst these developments, supporters from both the BJP and Congress staged a sit-in protest within the municipal premises, with both sides voicing their respective demands. When the voting process did not progress within the allotted time, the voting deadline was extended to 10:30 AM. Despite this, the situation regarding the election remained unresolved. Subsequently, a decision was made to seal the ballot boxes based on directives from the State Election Commission. Eventually, the sit-in protests by both parties at the municipal premises were called off. Thereafter, the process of moving the ballot boxes to the strong room under tight security was initiated. With the civic body chief election in Khatushyamji now stalled, all eyes remain on law enforcement agencies as they search for Lakshmi Devi ahead of the Election Commission's next announcement. Following the formation of the BJP-led board in Ajmer, the election for the Deputy Mayor post was taking place today. Notably, during the mayoral election in Ajmer, Congress councillors had rebelled against their party and voted for the BJP. While the BJP had secured 32 seats out of the total 80 wards, they ultimately won the board with 43 votes; conversely, Congress held 37 seats but remained confined to that same tally.
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