AAP wins chairperson's post in Rajasthan's Baran, ends Congress's 15-year reign

Amid the BJP’s sweep in the elections for mayors and chairpersons across Rajasthan, the Aam Aadmi Party registered a major breakthrough on Monday by winning the chairperson’s post in Baran Municipal Council and ending the Congress’s 15-year control of the body.AAP candidate Sheetal Rathore was elected chairperson, giving the party control of any urban local body in Rajasthan for the very first time.Rathore defeated Congress candidate Meenakshi Bhardwaj by 11 votes. She secured all 31 AAP votes, while the BJP’s councillors boycotted the election.In the elections to the council’s 60 wards, the AAP won a clear majority with 31 seats. The Congress secured 18, the BJP nine and Independents two. With the chairperson’s post reserved for a woman from the general category, Rathore was the leading contender from the AAP. She filed her nomination shortly after taking oath as a councillor.The 34-year-old made her electoral debut in the recently-concluded urban body polls. Born in Rajasthan’s Jhalawar, she holds a master’s degree in English literature. Rathore, whose father served in the police department, married former Baran Municipal Council chairperson and local political leader Kamal Rathore in 2014. The couple have two children.Meanwhile, the day largely belonged to the ruling BJP, which formed boards in 199 urban bodies, including six municipal corporations, 31 municipal councils and 162 municipalities. The Congress secured 94 bodies, while other parties and Independents won eight.Baran was not the only setback for the Congress. The party also finished third in the Pali mayoral election despite being the largest party in the municipal corporation, as most of its councillors backed a rebel candidate.BJP candidate Namita Bubukia won with 33 votes, 12 more than the party’s strength in the corporation. Congress rebel Rajbala Hingad finished second with 29 votes, while the party’s official candidate received only three.In the recently concluded municipal polls, the Congress won 29 wards in Pali, the BJP 21 and Independents 15.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Sep 21, 2026 20:51 IST