##### Rajasthan Considers Direct Election of Mayors and Chairpersons After 16 Years

Jaipur:Rajasthan is witnessing fresh discussions about changing the municipal election process for the first time in over one and a half decades. Urban Development Minister Jhabar Singh Kharrra, in a statement just before Diwali, hinted at the possibility of direct elections for mayors and chairpersons of urban local bodies, generating political buzz across the state.

Under the proposed “One State-One Election” framework, municipal elections are expected either before or after Holi next year, marking the first time urban local bodies would go to polls simultaneously under a single-state election system. Preparations for these elections have already begun, including the completion of ward delimitation, with the gazette notification expected soon.

Currently, the state government has appointed administrators in municipalities where the term has expired. The Urban Development and Local Self-Government Department is reportedly deliberating extensively on the new election formula. Discussions may also include input from ministers, MLAs, and MPs. If approved, the new system will allow citizens across 309 urban bodies in Rajasthan to directly elect chairpersons, restoring public choice in local governance after 2006, when direct elections were last held.

The proposed change aims to empower citizens and reduce conflicts between mayors/chairpersons and councilors. At present, councilors electing municipal heads often results in the chairpersons working under pressure, leading to ineffective governance and a negative public image over the five-year term. Direct elections are expected to allow capable, development-oriented leaders to take charge without external or internal pressures, ensuring urban development reaches the ground level.

Senior BJP leader and former chairman, K.K. Gupta, also reacted, saying that direct elections would bring significant and unprecedented changes. Speaking in his capacity as the state coordinator of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), Gupta noted that municipal performance across Rajasthan has been unsatisfactory, particularly in urban cleanliness. He added that apart from Dungarpur, no urban body in Rajasthan is performing satisfactorily, and disputes between mayors and councilors often disrupt work. Direct elections, he said, would allow capable and accountable leaders to emerge and truly transform city administration.

If implemented, this new election formula could mark a major shift in Rajasthan’s urban governance, strengthening citizen participation, accountability, and development-oriented leadership.