Jaipur/Jodhpur/Kota, Sept. 20 -- BJP and Congress mayoral candidates in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporations filed their nominations on Saturday. Preparations are also underway to curb cross-voting ahead of the mayoral elections scheduled on September 25. In Jaipur, the BJP named councillor Sunil Kothari as its mayoral candidate. Three Congress members filed nominations- Bharat Meghwal, Sunita Mahawar and Sunita Methi. Kothari, a prominent jeweller from Jaipur's Vaishya-Jain community, has been associated with the BJP for nearly three decades and is considered close to chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. He has previously served as a state minister and the party's Jaipur district president. In the recently concluded civic elections, the BJP fielded Kothari from Ward 112 in the Kishanpole Assembly constituency after denying a ticket to outgoing mayor Kusum Yadav. Party members told HT that former deputy mayor Puneet Karnawat was another strong contender for the mayoral candidate. Kothari's seniority and extensive organisational experience ultimately gave him an edge over Karnavat, who has substantial experience within the municipal corporation. Party members said Karnawat may now be considered again for the deputy mayor post. The BJP's strength in the 150-member corporation is 78, exceeding the majority mark by 2. However, the Congress is preparing to contest the mayoral election despite not having sufficient numbers of its own. Bharat Meghwal and Sunita Mawar filed nomination papers from the Congress camp. In a surprise development, first-time councillor Sunita Methi, who represents Ward 110, also reached the municipal corporation headquarters and submitted her nomination for the mayoral post. The Congress is yet to formally announce its official candidate. Methi had made headlines in the civic elections by defeating former Jaipur mayor Jyoti Khandelwal by over 2,000 votes. Khandelwal, who had previously been elected mayor on a Congress ticket, later joined the BJP. Congress insiders said the Congress may field Methi to mount a direct challenge to the BJP. The Congress has 57 councillors, while 15 independents have been elected to the corporation. Even with the support of all independents, the party would remain short of the majority mark. However, certain Congress leaders claimed to be in contact with councillors across party camps. Congress MLA and chief whip Rafiq Khan has also claimed support from councillors outside the party. Certain Congress insiders termed the upcoming contest as a "psychological battle" regardless of the Congress's ability to secure a majority. To mitigate cross-voting, the BJP shifted its councillors to a hotel in Pushkar on Friday night. They had previously been accommodated at a hotel in Bagru near Jaipur. In Jodhpur, BJP's Prasannchand Mehta filed his nomination against Congress candidate Rajendra Singh Solanki. Solanki, who did not contest the councillor election, filed his nomination for the mayor's post at around 2.15pm. Mehta had filed his nomination at the municipal corporation office around 1.30pm, accompanied by MLA Atul Bhansali, Soorsagar MLA Devendra Joshi and other BJP leaders. In the civic elections, neither party secured a majority in the 100-member corporation. The BJP won 45 wards and the Congress 44, while Independents secured 10 seats and the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party won one. Before 2019, only elected councillors could contest for the posts of mayor, municipal chairperson or council president in Rajasthan. However, the then-Congress government amended the Rajasthan Municipalities Election Rules, 1994, in 2019, allowing a person who is not a councillor to contest for the post of a local body chief. Mehta, who has an RSS background, has previously served as the BJP's district president and state vice-president. In Kota, the BJP fielded Anusuiya Goswami, while the Congress fielded Ward 17 councillor Sunita Suman. Goswami filed her nomination after the announcement. BJP district president Rakesh Jain said the party was known for springing surprises with its decisions. He claimed that Kota would witness planned development under Goswami's leadership, adding that a comprehensive roadmap had been prepared for the city. He also dismissed suggestions of differences within the BJP. Congress district president Rakhi Gautam said the outcome could not be predicted before the votes were counted. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on September 21, while candidates can withdraw nominations until 3 pm on September 22. Voting for the mayor's post will be held from 10 am to 2 pm on September 25, followed by the deputy mayoral election on September 26....