Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur
Jaipur, Sep 2: The BJP and Congress are fielding a significant number of young candidates in Rajasthan’s five major cities, bringing a new generation of faces into municipal politics while retaining experienced leaders for the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections.
According to candidate lists released so far, the two parties have fielded 70 candidates aged between 21 and 29 years across 510 wards in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer and Kota.
Gen Z candidates constitute 13.72 per cent of the total candidates fielded by the BJP and Congress in these five cities.
The Congress has fielded 49 Gen Z candidates, compared with 21 by the BJP, according to the candidate lists available so far.
Jaipur
In Jaipur, the Congress has fielded twice as many Gen Z candidates as the BJP.
The nomination process for all 150 wards of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation elections has concluded.
The BJP has given tickets to six candidates aged between 21 and 29:
Palak Yadav (21) – Ward 10
Yash Ranawat (22) – Ward 119
Shalu Meena (23) – Ward 150
Nidhi Jain (29) – Ward 143
Suraj Godiwal (29) – Ward 115
Ajay Tepan (29) – Ward 63
The Congress has fielded 12 Gen Z candidates, with Faiz Hasan, 21, from Ward 71, being its youngest candidate.
Alongside young faces, the BJP has also included several senior candidates in its Jaipur list. The party has nominated 10 candidates aged 60 or above. The oldest is Shravan Bohra, 66, from Ward 1.
The Congress has also retained significant senior representation, with 13 candidates aged 60 or above. Its oldest candidate is Suresh Biwal, 67, from Ward 115.
Jodhpur
Jodhpur has 17 Gen Z candidates from the BJP and Congress contesting the councillor elections, based on the candidate details available so far.
The Congress has fielded 10 young candidates, while the BJP has fielded seven.
The Congress' youngest candidate is Saraswati, 21, from Ward 51. She completed her graduation in 2025 and is pursuing further studies.
The BJP has fielded Bhagyashree Acharya, 24, from Ward 24. She is pursuing an MA and is contesting her first election.
Five of the 17 Gen Z candidates are reportedly unmarried.
The contest also features a significant age gap in at least one ward, where a young Congress candidate is taking on a senior BJP candidate.
Udaipur
The BJP and Congress have fielded eight Gen Z candidates in the Udaipur Municipal Corporation elections.
Of these, six are from the Congress and two from the BJP.
Among the BJP candidates is Pragya Patidar, 26, from Ward 38. An interior designer by profession, she is also associated with social and volunteer activities.
The Udaipur contest features candidates from diverse professional and educational backgrounds, including students, volunteers and young professionals.
Ajmer
In Ajmer, the BJP has fielded four Gen Z candidates, while the Congress has nominated five, taking the combined number to nine.
Kota
Kota has emerged as the city with the highest youth representation among the five cities covered by the available candidate data.
The BJP has fielded two Gen Z candidates, while the Congress has given tickets to 16, taking the combined figure to 18.
The candidate lists released so far indicate that both major parties are attempting to bring younger faces into municipal politics while continuing to rely on experienced leaders.
With candidates aged 21 to 29 contesting across major urban centres, the Rajasthan civic elections are also opening the door to electoral politics for a new generation of leaders.
The figures are based on candidate lists uploaded and announced by the BJP and Congress so far. The numbers may change if additional or revised candidate lists are released.