The Rajasthan High Court has instructed the state government and State Election Commission to conduct panchayat and urban local body elections by July 31, denying the government’s plea to postpone the polls until December. Acting Chief Justice S.P. Sharma’s division bench also mandated the OBC Commission to present its report by June 20 to facilitate the election process. This decision followed the court’s reservation of the order on May 11, after the conclusion of hearings.
On November 14, 2025, the Rajasthan High Court had directed the state government to finish Panchayat and local body elections by April 15, 2026, during the hearing of 439 petitions. However, as the elections were not held within the specified timeframe, the government approached the High Court for an extension. The state government, during the hearings, cited pending OBC Commission report and logistical challenges like school availability, staff, and EVMs as reasons for the delay.
Former MLAs Sanyam Lodha and Giriraj Singh Devanda opposed the government’s request, alleging intentional delays in holding elections for over a year. They argued that the repeated postponements were weakening grassroots democratic institutions. The government, on the other hand, proposed conducting all elections together after the current terms end between September and December to establish “One State, One Election” concept. Despite efforts to comply with the High Court’s previous orders, the government stated that prevailing circumstances hindered the April 15 election deadline.
The Rajasthan State Election Commission supported the government’s stance, emphasizing the need for finalizing OBC reservation arrangements before elections could proceed. Despite these arguments, the High Court mandated the completion of elections by July 31 and urged the OBC Commission to expedite its report submission by June 20.
