Karni Sena’s UGC Rollback Campaign Delivers Strong Poll Result: A Lesson for BJP?
Karni Sena has claimed a major political impact from its UGC rollback campaign after independent candidates performed strongly in Rajasthan’s local body polls.
The Rajasthan urban local body election results have emerged as a significant political signal for the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, with its president Mahipal Singh Makrana claiming that the organisation’s campaign against the UGC Regulations 2026 played a key role in the strong performance of independent candidates.
Makrana said nearly 70 per cent of the winning independent candidates were backed by the organisation for supporting the rollback of the UGC regulations. He described the independents’ performance as historic, claiming they secured victories in around 20-25 per cent of wards across Rajasthan.
The Karni Sena had called for a boycott of both the BJP and Congress during the ULB elections and appealed to voters to support candidates who provided written assurances backing the withdrawal of the UGC regulations. Its Swarna Nyay Manch reportedly supported more than 1,500 independent candidates during the campaign.
Makrana cited the results in the Makrana Municipal Council, where independents won 36 of 60 wards, and pointed to the BJP’s setback in Bikaner as evidence of the campaign’s impact.
The results could serve as a political lesson for the BJP, particularly on issues involving reservation, representation and demands from influential social groups. The Karni Sena’s independent campaign suggests that sections of voters may be willing to move beyond traditional party loyalties when they believe their concerns are not being addressed.
However, BJP spokesperson Laxmikant Bhardwaj rejected the claim that the results were driven by the Karni Sena campaign, saying independent candidates have traditionally performed strongly in local elections.
