India, Sept. 21 -- The Rajasthan High Court constituted special benches and held hearings late on Sunday night to consider urgent petitions seeking protection from arrest for councillors and candidates ahead of mayoral polls in the state.

The court granted interim protection to nine councillors from Hanumangarh and Congress councillor Maqsood Ahmed from Bikaner. Lawyers said the proceedings were among the rare instances in which the high court heard petitions late at night on a holiday.

Elections for mayors and chairpersons are scheduled on Monday in 273 urban local bodies, including the municipal corporations of Bikaner, Pali, Ajmer, Udaipur and Alwar. Voting in the Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporations will be held on Septem...