Rajasthan Government Affirms No Panchayat Elections Before June 2025 in HC Affidavit
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Synopsis
In a recent affidavit submitted to the Rajasthan High Court, the state government confirmed that elections for over 6,000 Gram Panchayats will not occur before June 2025 due to ongoing reorganization processes.
Key Takeaways
- Elections for 6,000 panchayats postponed until June 2025.
- Reorganization process for municipalities ongoing.
- High Court demands a clear election timetable.
- Legal challenges cited regarding the postponement.
- Government asserts authority to appoint administrators.
Jaipur, April 8 (NationPress) The state government has clarified that elections for more than 6,000 Gram Panchayats in Rajasthan will not take place until June 2025, as stated in an additional affidavit presented to the Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday.
The affidavit details that the reorganization and delimitation process for panchayats and municipalities, initiated with a notification in March, will extend through May or June.
Only upon the completion of this process will the election timetable be established. The High Court had previously requested clarification from the state government regarding its plans for conducting elections for 6,759 Gram Panchayats, following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) questioning the delay of these polls.
The court indicated that the government's earlier response lacked a specific timeframe and had instructed the government to adhere to its February 4 order by providing a definitive election schedule.
Advocate Premchand Devanda, representing the petitioners, asserted that the state government had postponed the panchayat elections through a notification dated January 16, 2025. He argued this action directly contravenes Article 243E and Article 243K of the Constitution of India, as well as Section 17 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.
Devanda maintained that the delay of elections undermines the essential framework of local self-governance, leaving the smallest components of democracy—village panchayats—without proper representation.
The petitioners further claimed that once a panchayat's five-year term concludes, elections cannot be postponed, even for a single day, under constitutional and statutory guidelines.
They highlighted that outgoing sarpanches no longer possess any official status and are effectively private individuals. Therefore, such individuals cannot legally serve as administrators of panchayats.
In its defense, the state government asserted its authority to appoint administrators in panchayats where elections have been delayed.
Citing Section 95 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, the government maintained that it is authorized to appoint administrators and that the Act does not specify any criteria regarding who may be appointed to these positions.
