Seventy-seven candidates, including 37 women, have been elected unopposed in Rajasthan's urban local body polls, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for 44 of the victories and the Congress for 16, election officials said.
The remaining 17 unopposed candidates are independents. Elections for the 232 remaining seats are scheduled for September 9 and September 11.
Among the 37 women elected unopposed, four are among the youngest candidates to secure victories. Congress's Sofia, 22, from Ramgarh Shekhawati Nagar Palika in Sikar district is the youngest. She is followed by Congress's Mona Bano, 23, from Basani Nagar Palika in Nagaur district, and BJP's Pinki Kumari, 24, from Pahari Nagar Palika in Deeg district.
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Jaipur has bucked the trend, with no candidate elected unopposed from any of its 150 wards.
Deeg recorded the highest number of uncontested victories with 10, followed by Chittorgarh with six and Sikar with five. Alwar, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur and Khairthal-Tijara recorded four each, while Bharatpur, Bikaner, Jaipur district, Dholpur and Jalore had three each.
The BJP accounted for 56.4% of the unopposed victories, followed by independents at 23.1% and the Congress at 20.5%.
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In Deeg, seven of the 10 candidates elected unopposed are independents. All six unopposed victories in Chittorgarh went to the BJP.
In Bilara in Jodhpur, all four candidates elected unopposed are from the BJP. BJP candidates were also elected unopposed in Jalore, Dungarpur, Jhunjhunu, Pali and Rajsamand.
The 16 Congress candidates elected unopposed are from areas including Bundi, Dausa, Dholpur, Sri Ganganagar, Jaisalmer, Jhalawar, Jhunjhunu and Kota.
Independents also secured unopposed victories in Bharatpur, Deeg, Dholpur, Jhunjhunu and Karauli, among other areas.
