Last day for withdrawal of nominations in Rajasthan today, final chance till 3 PM

Today is the last day for withdrawal of nominations for the urban local body elections in Rajasthan. Candidates can withdraw their names by visiting the Returning Officer by 3 PM. The final number of candidates contesting the elections will be announced this evening.

On the first day, more than 218 candidates withdrew their nominations and exited the election in the state's 309 urban local bodies. After scrutiny of nomination papers in 19 bodies of Jaipur district, 3,365 candidates remained in the fray. Yesterday, after consultations by major parties and appeals to candidates, 74 candidates withdrew their names.

The withdrawal process will continue until 3 PM, after which the final list will be issued. On September 4, election symbols will be allotted to the candidates contesting the elections. After this, the campaign will proceed at full speed.

Only 7 days remain for election campaigning. The first phase of voting will take place on September 11, covering 145 bodies.

The withdrawal process is also ongoing in the Alwar Municipal Corporation elections. So far, 6 independent candidates have withdrawn their nominations. In the 65 wards of the Municipal Corporation, 440 candidates remain in the fray.

Major political parties are contacting some independent candidates to persuade them to withdraw from the elections, while some independent candidates are also being supported in certain wards. There is a possibility of triangular contests in many wards.

Efforts continue to convince some independent candidates who entered the fray after being denied tickets by BJP and Congress. On Wednesday, six independent candidates withdrew their nominations. Some other candidates are also likely to withdraw on Thursday.

So far, 132 nomination papers have been rejected in the Municipal Corporation elections. After the withdrawal deadline ends, the final list of candidates contesting the elections will be prepared.

Besides Alwar, many candidates have withdrawn their nominations in Kherli, Ramgarh, and Kathumar as well. In ward number 17 of Kherli, after both independent candidates withdrew, the BJP candidate is likely to be elected unopposed. After withdrawals in Kathumar, 96 candidates remain in the fray, while 286 candidates are contesting in Ramgarh.