Rajasthan High Court Orders Simultaneous Panchayat and Municipal Elections by 2026

The Rajasthan High Court has mandated the state government to conduct pending panchayat and municipal elections by April 15, 2026. The court also required the delimitation exercise to be completed by December 31, while rejecting petitions challenging these processes and opposing the appointment of outgoing officials as administrators.

The Rajasthan High Court has issued a directive for the state government to complete its pending panchayat and municipal elections by April 15, 2026. This decision requires both electoral exercises to be conducted simultaneously, aiming to restore democratic functioning in more than 6,700 panchayats.

The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice S P Sharma and Justice Sanjit Purohit, also mandated that the delimitation process for these electoral bodies be finalized by December 31, effectively dismissing multiple petitions challenging the reorganization and opposing the reappointment of former officials as administrators.

Petitioners, including former MLA Sanyam Lodha, argued that election delays breached constitutional provisions and disrupted governance. The court's deadline follows the advocate general's inability to provide election dates, along with the need to adjust for an earlier timeline overlapping with educational board exams.

(With inputs from agencies.)