UDAIPUR: The reservation lottery for all 80 wards of the Udaipur Nagar Nigam was conducted Monday as preparations for the upcoming civic elections gathered pace. The process was held in the presence of District Collector Gaurav Agrawal, Additional District Magistrate Deependra Singh Rathore and Jitendra Ojha. The draw has now determined the reservation status of all 80 wards. The post of mayor has been kept unreserved, or open, this time.

According to the draw, 32 wards have been kept unreserved and open to candidates from any eligible category. Another 16 wards have been reserved for women under the unreserved category. Eleven wards have been reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates in the open category, while five are reserved for OBC women. Among Scheduled Caste (SC) wards, five are open and three are reserved for women. Similarly, five Scheduled Tribe (ST) wards are open and three are reserved for ST women.

The reservation list is expected to significantly influence the electoral calculations of potential candidates preparing to contest the civic elections. Candidates whose wards have been reserved for a different category may now have to explore other constituencies, while political activity is likely to intensify in wards that remain open or have been reserved for specific categories.

Ward-wise, Ward 1 is unreserved open, Ward 2 OBC open, Ward 3 unreserved open, Ward 4 unreserved women, Ward 5 unreserved open, Ward 6 OBC open, Ward 7 SC open, Ward 8 unreserved women, Ward 9 SC open and Ward 10 unreserved open. Ward 11 is OBC open, Ward 12 unreserved open, Ward 13 ST women, Ward 14 OBC open and Ward 15 unreserved open. Wards 16 and 17 are reserved for unreserved women, while Wards 18, 19 and 20 are unreserved open.

Wards 21, 22 and 23 are OBC open, while Wards 24, 25 and 26 are unreserved open. Ward 27 is reserved for unreserved women, Wards 28 and 29 are unreserved open, Ward 30 is SC open, Ward 31 is unreserved women and Ward 32 is SC open. Ward 33 is unreserved open, Ward 34 OBC women, Wards 35 and 36 unreserved women, Ward 37 SC open, Ward 38 OBC women, Ward 39 unreserved open and Ward 40 unreserved women.

Ward 41 is ST open, Ward 42 ST women and Ward 43 ST open. Wards 44 to 47 are unreserved open. Ward 48 is OBC open, Wards 49, 50 and 51 are unreserved open, Ward 52 is unreserved women, Wards 53 and 54 are unreserved open and Ward 55 is OBC women.

Ward 56 is unreserved open, Wards 57 and 58 are unreserved women, Ward 59 is SC women and Ward 60 is unreserved women. Ward 61 is OBC women, Ward 62 ST women, Wards 63 and 64 unreserved open, Ward 65 ST open, Ward 66 unreserved open, Ward 67 SC women, Ward 68 OBC women and Ward 69 unreserved women.

Ward 70 is unreserved open, Wards 71 and 72 are OBC open, Ward 73 unreserved women, Ward 74 OBC open, Ward 75 unreserved open, Ward 76 unreserved women, Ward 77 ST open, Ward 78 unreserved open, Ward 79 ST open and Ward 80 unreserved open.

The reservation draw has now made the next phase of political preparations more significant for the major parties. Potential candidates are expected to increase their outreach at the ward level and strengthen their claims for party tickets. In several cases, the reservation status could force aspirants to reconsider their preferred wards and look for opportunities elsewhere.

Meanwhile, under a revised departmental order, the district-level reservation lottery for Zila Parishad members, Pradhans and Panchayat Samiti members will now be held Sept. 17. The subdivision-level lottery for Sarpanch and Ward Panch posts will follow on Sept. 18. The earlier lottery scheduled at the Zila Parishad auditorium for Monday at 12:30 p.m. has been postponed following the new order.

The department has also stated that the reservation determination and lottery process for chairperson posts in urban local bodies and the Zila Pramukh post had already been completed Aug. 13. With the reservation status of Udaipur's 80 Nagar Nigam wards now clear, political activity is expected to intensify ahead of the civic elections.