Two Gen Z candidates, both 21, win for BJP and Congress in Rajasthan civic polls: All about them

Two 21-year-old candidates from the BJP and Congress have won municipal elections in Rajasthan, bringing the Gen Z faces into the state's local politics.Congress candidate Faiz Hassan won Ward 71 of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation, while BJP’s Neha Sharma defeated her Congress rival in the Thanagazi municipality in Alwar district by 101 votes.In Thanagazi, Sharma defeated her Congress rival by 101 votes. According to India Today, it was the biggest winning margin among BJP candidates elected from the municipality.Hassan defeated Independent candidate Mohammad Salim in the Jaipur ward. Salim received 5,256 votes, while BJP candidate Nisha Gaur finished third.Who is Neha SharmaNeha Sharma, a 21-year-old BJP candidate from Thanagazi in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, contested the municipal election from Ward 6, a general-category ward with 634 registered voters.Sharma contested against Congress candidate Rajendra and two Independent candidates. She won the election and became one of the youngest candidates to enter Rajasthan’s local politics.Earlier, Sharma worked as a journalist for around four years. During her journalism career, she covered issues related to people and local communities.Who is Faiz HassanFaiz Hassan is a 21-year-old Congress candidate who won the Jaipur civic election. Hassan's campaign focused on basic issues, including better sanitation and the construction and improvement of roads, that affect people in his ward.After winning the election, Hassan said his main focus would remain serving the people of his ward. He said work on sanitation and roads would begin soon. He also thanked the people for supporting him and said he would work to fulfill the promises he made during the election.The victories of Hassan and Sharma came as the BJP finished ahead of Congress in Rajasthan’s urban local body elections. The BJP won 4,171 wards, while Congress won 3,597 wards. This gave the BJP a lead of 574 wards over Congress.Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma called the results a ‘historic victory’. He said the results showed public confidence in the BJP government’s work, governance and development agenda. He also credited the state government’s work over the past two-and-a-half years. Continue Reading(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)