Ahead of Rajasthan municipal polls, a unique rule allows one to become mayor without being a councilor, raising hopes for defeated political leaders.
A fascinating legal provision exists in Rajasthan's politics. According to it, it is not mandatory for a candidate to be an elected councilor to hold these top positions.
This rule directly means that political parties can appoint an influential figure directly as a mayor or municipal chairperson, even if they haven't contested the councilor election.
This special legal provision has given wings to the hopes of many prominent state leaders who faced defeat in the recent assembly or Lok Sabha elections.
Although these leaders lost the elections, they hold a strong public base and social influence in their respective districts and cities, which parties want to leverage.
This significant change occurred in 2019. The then Congress government, led by Ashok Gehlot, made a major amendment to the Rajasthan Municipal (Election) Rules.
Through this amendment, the compulsion of being an elected councilor for the post of municipal chairperson or mayor was completely abolished.
According to the new rules, any person who meets the prescribed qualifications for contesting the councilor election can directly contest for the post of mayor or chairperson.
These qualifications include minimum age, educational qualifications, and other legal standards. However, the non-councilor candidate is elected through voting by the elected councilors in the house.
When the Congress government implemented this provision in 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), then in opposition, had strongly opposed it.
However, even after the BJP government, led by Bhajanlal Sharma, came to power in the state in 2023, this rule has not been changed or repealed. The provision is currently in effect as is.
The continuation of this rule leaves a strategic option open for both major political parties, Congress and BJP. They can appoint their preferred or senior leaders to top posts after the election results.
Political analysts believe that this rule proves to be very beneficial for political parties in big cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota.
Often, due to local factionalism or internal sabotage, major party leaders hesitate to take a councilor ticket or lose the election. In such cases, this rule provides them with a safe passage.
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