Jaipur, Nov 14 (IANS) The High Court has issued a significant directive to the Rajasthan government, ordering that Panchayat and Municipal elections be conducted simultaneously by April 15, 2026. The court further instructed the ruling BJP government to complete the delimitation process by December 31, stating that delaying elections violates constitutional provisions.

A division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice S.P. Sharma delivered the judgment on Friday, ruling on a series of petitions filed by Giriraj Singh Devanda, former MLA Sanyam Lodha, and others.

The petitioners argued that the Rajasthan government had illegally and arbitrarily postponed Panchayat and Municipal elections, despite the expiry of terms of nearly 6,759 panchayats and 55 municipalities across the state.

The court had reserved its verdict on August 12 after concluding hearings, and delivered the long-awaited judgment nearly three months later.

Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Premchand Devanda submitted that the government’s notification dated January 16, 2025, deferring Panchayat elections violated Articles 243E and 243K of the Constitution and Section 17 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.

He argued that once the five-year term of a panchayat ends, elections must be held immediately, and outgoing sarpanches, no longer public representatives, cannot be appointed as administrators, since private individuals cannot hold such positions under the law.

In a separate PIL concerning municipal elections, advocate Puneet Singhvi, representing ex-MLA Lodha, asserted that the government’s failure to hold elections in 55 municipalities — whose terms expired in November 2024 — led to the unauthorised appointment of administrators.

He said the government’s actions violated the Constitution and the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009, noting that the Supreme Court allows postponement of local body elections only in cases of natural disasters. No such situation existed in this case, he argued.

The BJP government defended its actions and said it intended to test the concept of ‘One State, One Election’.

A high-level committee had been constituted for the purpose. The move, it said, aims to save time, money, and manpower while strengthening Panchayati Raj and urban local bodies.

The government further said that after the previous administration created several new districts, nine of which have since been abolished, boundary demarcation, panchayat restructuring, and municipal delimitation work remain incomplete.

Because of this ongoing process, elections were postponed. The government also argued that under Section 95 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, it has the power to appoint administrators where elections are deferred. The Act, it said, does not specify who should serve as administrator, giving the government discretionary authority.

–IANS

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