From Gen Z to politics: 21-year-old Faiz Hassan, Neha Sharma win big in Rajasthan civic polls

Rajasthan’s urban local body elections have brought a new generation into electoral politics, with two 21-year-old candidates from the BJP and Congress winning municipal ward elections. Congress candidate Faiz Hassan won Ward 71 of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, while BJP candidate Neha Sharma secured victory in Thanagazi municipality in Alwar district. Their victories mark the entry of two Gen Z representatives into Rajasthan’s civic bodies.

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Faiz Hassan wins Jaipur municipal ward

Congress’s Faiz Hassan, 21, emerged victorious from Ward 71 of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation. He defeated Independent candidate Mohammad Salim, who secured 5,256 votes. BJP candidate Nisha Gaur finished third, India Today reported.

Hassan’s victory comes at a time when political parties are increasingly looking towards younger candidates to connect with a new generation of voters and bring fresh representation to local governance.

Neha Sharma wins Thanagazi by 101 votes

In Alwar’s Thanagazi municipality, BJP candidate Neha Sharma, also 21, defeated her Congress rival by a margin of 101 votes.

According to India Today, Sharma’s victory was reportedly the largest winning margin among BJP candidates elected from the municipality. Her win has also triggered discussions about her potential candidature for the post of Thanagazi municipal chairperson.

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Before entering electoral politics, Sharma worked as a journalist for nearly four years, covering issues concerning the public. Her professional background in journalism adds another dimension to her entry into local politics.

BJP ahead of Congress in Rajasthan civic polls

The victories of Hassan and Sharma came against the backdrop of a broader BJP lead in Rajasthan’s urban local body elections.

The BJP won 4,171 wards, while the Congress secured 3,597 wards, giving the ruling party an advantage of 574 wards, according to India Today.

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma described the outcome as a “historic victory” and attributed the result to public confidence in the BJP government’s governance and development agenda.

However, Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra offered a different assessment of the results. He argued that the contest was closer than the ward tally suggested, pointing to the BJP’s narrow vote-share advantage.

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Dotasra also compared the latest results with previous urban local body elections, noting that the BJP had enjoyed a significantly larger vote-share lead in the 2014-16 polls, while Congress had held an advantage in the 2019-21 elections.

A new generation in local politics

The victories of Faiz Hassan and Neha Sharma stand out because both candidates are just 21 years old. Their entry into municipal politics highlights the growing space for younger political representatives at the grassroots level.

While their electoral journeys have begun in local civic bodies, their victories could also signal a wider shift towards younger faces in Rajasthan’s political landscape.