BJP, Cong field 70 Gen Z candidates in Rajasthan civic polls

Jaipur, Sep 2

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 account for 13.72 per cent of the total candidates fielded by the two parties in these five cities.

The Congress has fielded 49 Gen Z candidates, compared with 21 by the BJP, according to the available candidate lists.

In Jaipur, Congress 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; and Ajay Tepan (29) - Ward 63, while the Congress party has fielded 12 Gen Z candidates. Its youngest candidate is Faiz Hasan, 21, from Ward 71.

Along with young candidates, the BJP has also fielded several senior candidates in Jaipur. The party has nominated 10 candidates aged 60 or above. The oldest is Shravan Bohra, 66, from Ward 1.

The Congress has also included experienced candidates in its Jaipur list, with 13 candidates aged 60 or above. The oldest is Suresh Biwal, 67, from Ward 115.

Jodhpur has 17 Gen Z candidates from the BJP and Congress contesting the councillor elections, according to the candidate details available so far. The Congress has fielded 10 Gen Z 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 includes a significant age gap in at least one ward, where a young Congress candidate is facing a senior BJP candidate.

The BJP and Congress have fielded eight Gen Z candidates in the Udaipur Municipal Corporation elections. Of these, six are from Congress and two from the BJP.

Among the BJP candidates is Pragya Patidar, 26, nominated from Ward 38. Pragya is an interior designer by profession and is also associated with social and volunteer activities.

The Udaipur contest includes candidates from diverse professional and educational backgrounds, including volunteers, students and young professionals.

In Ajmer, the BJP has fielded four Gen Z candidates, while Congress has nominated five, taking the combined number to nine.

Kota has emerged as the city with the highest youth representation among the five cities listed. 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 retaining experienced leaders.

With candidates aged 21 to 29 contesting across major urban centres, the elections are also providing an entry point into 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.

— IANS