Congress Forms Panel to Probe Cross-Voting in Rajasthan Local Body Elections

The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee has set up a nine-member panel to look into complaints of cross-voting and other problems during the recent municipal elections. Former Assembly Speaker CP Joshi leads this committee, which must hand in its report in seven days.

Investigation Details

Party sources state that Congress plans to take action against councillors who won on the party symbol but voted for BJP candidates in mayor and chairman polls across 309 urban local bodies. Reports covering more than 400 Congress councillors are currently under review. Besides CP Joshi, the panel includes Ram Singh Kaswan, Murari Lal Meena, Kuldeep Indora, Pramod Jain Bhaya, Shakuntala Rawat, Hakeem Ali, Ganesh Ghoghara and Raghuveer Singh Rathore. The group will check complaints from bodies in places like Bhilwara, Pali and Bharatpur.

Central Leadership

The matter has also drawn attention from the AICC, with top leaders expressing worry over rebellion in municipal corporations such as Bikaner, Bharatpur, Ajmer, Kota and Pali. PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra went to Delhi after being summoned to discuss actions against those at fault. In Bhilwara, 17 candidates reportedly missed getting their symbols on time due to a clash between local leaders Dheeraj Gurjar and Ramlal Jat, a situation that central leaders Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal have noticed.

Context

Local body elections in India often see intense party friction at the grassroots level, where local rivalries can override state-level alignments. Internal probes and disciplinary committees are common tools used by major political parties to manage dissent and maintain unity after unexpected electoral setbacks.