Panchayati Raj, local body elections in Rajasthan set to get delayed

Elections to Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies in Rajasthan will be postponed with the State government extending the mandate of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Political Representation Commission till September 30. In future polls, seats will be reserved based on the commission’s report.

The mandate of the committee was extended for the third time and the election process was stopped. The Rajasthan High Court had in November 2025 directed the State government to conduct the polls by April 15. The mandate of the commission, constituted on May 9, 2025, was to review and facilitate reservations for OBCs.

According to sources, population data submitted to the commission from the districts were found to be “incomplete and inaccurate” in many cases.

The state government is believed to be working on the Supreme Court-mandated “triple test” to provide OBC reservation in local body elections based on empirical data and surveys rather than political, social or economic backwardness. The triple test requires the establishment of a special commission that determines the local body-by-body proportion of the quota based on the panel’s recommendations, providing a 50% ceiling.

While the state government claimed to have taken action to strengthen the framework of political representation of OBC communities, the Opposition Congress on Wednesday (April 1, 2026) accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of postponing the elections fearing defeat.

State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said, “BJP is not in a position to confront the people in the current circumstances where its misrule has been exposed and the people are fed up with the misrule of the last two and a half years.” He added that the tenure of all local bodies and Panacyati Raj institutions, except 112 Panchayat Samitis, has ended.

He also questioned the government’s intention to conduct polls based on January 2025 voter rolls even as the exercise of special intensive revision (SIR) led to a new voter list after deletion of absentee, shifted and dead voters.