📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Jakub Hałun
Local
Cross-voting shakes BJP as Surendra Singh Shekhawat trails in Bikaner mayor race
✍️ Amar Ujala · Rajasthan
🗓 01 Oct 2026, 02:45 PM
👁 12
In Bikaner’s mayoral election, BJP candidate Surendra Singh Shekhawat secured only 30 votes while deputy mayor candidate Pankaj Gahlot received 38, prompting the party to report cross‑voting to its leadership.
The Bikaner Municipal Corporation’s mayoral poll concluded with BJP’s Surendra Singh Shekhawat receiving just 30 votes, a figure that fell short of expectations for the party’s candidate. In the same contest, the party’s deputy mayor nominee, Pankaj Gahlot, garnered 38 votes, highlighting a disparity within the party’s internal support.
Party officials described the outcome as a clear sign of cross‑voting among BJP members, a phenomenon that can undermine party cohesion during local elections. In response, senior BJP leaders were handed a detailed report outlining the vote distribution and the suspected instances of members casting ballots for rival candidates.
The report has been forwarded to the state leadership for further analysis, with the aim of addressing the underlying causes of the split vote and preventing similar occurrences in future municipal contests. No official statements from the candidates themselves have been released as of now.
The incident underscores the challenges national parties face in maintaining disciplined voting blocs at the grassroots level, especially in Rajasthan’s politically active districts.
Party officials described the outcome as a clear sign of cross‑voting among BJP members, a phenomenon that can undermine party cohesion during local elections. In response, senior BJP leaders were handed a detailed report outlining the vote distribution and the suspected instances of members casting ballots for rival candidates.
The report has been forwarded to the state leadership for further analysis, with the aim of addressing the underlying causes of the split vote and preventing similar occurrences in future municipal contests. No official statements from the candidates themselves have been released as of now.
The incident underscores the challenges national parties face in maintaining disciplined voting blocs at the grassroots level, especially in Rajasthan’s politically active districts.