Jaipur: Rajasthan's long-delayed Panchayat and Urban Local Body elections have entered a decisive legal phase as the Rajasthan High Court is set to hear a contempt petition alleging that the state government and the State Election Commission failed to comply with judicial directions to conduct elections by July 31, 2026.
The hearing is being closely watched across the state, with political parties, elected representatives and rural communities awaiting clarity on when nearly 14,000 Gram Panchayats and more than 300 Urban Local Bodies will go to the polls.
The contempt petition, filed by Congress leader Sanyam Lodha, contends that the government has not implemented the High Court's earlier order within the prescribed timeline. The petitioner argues that failure to conduct elections before the deadline amounts to non-compliance with the court's directions.
At the same time, the Rajasthan government has moved the High Court seeking additional time. In its submission, the government argues that elections cannot be conducted until the process of determining Other Backward Class (OBC) political reservation is completed in accordance with constitutional and legal requirements.
According to the government's application, the Rajasthan OBC Commission is expected to submit its report by August 14, after which reservation data is likely to be finalized by the end of August.
The State Election Commission has informed the government that once the reservation matrix is available, conducting elections across Rajasthan will require nearly 90 days. Officials say Panchayat elections will have to be conducted in four phases, while Urban Local Body elections are expected to take place in two phases, owing to the scale of the exercise and administrative requirements.
Authorities have also confirmed that the statewide OBC survey, launched on July 10, is continuing through July 23 to collect the data needed for political reservation.
With the reservation process still underway and the Election Commission estimating a three-month election schedule after final approval, observers believe the possibility of completing the elections before October 2026 remains remote.
The High Court's ruling on Tuesday could prove pivotal. If the Bench refuses additional time, the government may face pressure to comply with the July deadline. If the extension request is accepted, Rajasthan's local body elections are likely to be pushed back, prolonging one of the state's longest election delays in recent years.
