An empty chair has defeated a sitting municipal council president in a recall election in Madhya Pradesh, after voters backed the empty-chair option by 466 votes.

The result for the Jerone Khalsa Nagar Parishad in Niwari district was declared on Friday, November 6, 2026. The empty-chair option received 2,633 votes. The option for keeping the sitting president received 2,167.

In the recall vote, the empty chair won by 466 votes, and the voters’ decision is to remove the sitting council president from office.

The numbers behind the upset

The margin was clear, and it was not close. Voters chose the empty chair over the sitting president, Kusum Matadin Pastor, by a gap of 466 votes.

The result means Pastor has lost the post. Her political innings in the council, as the report puts it, has come to a halt because of the recall.

How the recall unfolded

Voting for the recall was held on Wednesday, November 4. The election drew strong attention in the area, with both political and administrative circles closely watching it.

Administration and police put security arrangements in place for polling. The process, according to the report, was completed peacefully.

All eyes stayed on the result after polling ended. The counting on Friday made the picture clear, showing that more voters had chosen the empty chair than the option to keep the incumbent.

What happens next

The report says the next official steps tied to the president’s post will be carried out according to election rules. Those steps have not yet been detailed in the source material.

Local observers see the outcome as important for the politics of Jerone Nagar Parishad. The result is still the main topic of discussion in Jerone Khalsa.

Why this matters beyond one town

In most elections, voters pick a name. In this one, they picked an empty seat, and that seat won. For readers outside India, the case shows how a recall ballot can turn a symbol of absence into a decisive vote against an office holder.