Rajasthan High Court Clears Path for Timely Panchayat Elections, Dismisses Over 60 Petitions

Jaipur, Rajasthan: The Rajasthan High Court has cleared the way for Panchayat elections to be conducted on schedule, dismissing more than 60 petitions challenging the delimitation and restructuring of local bodies. The court emphasized that these processes are administrative in nature, and judicial intervention at this stage could disrupt the democratic process.

Judges Stress Timely Elections
A division bench comprising Justice Inderjit Singh and Justice Ravi Chirania observed that accepting petitions against delimitation before every election could unnecessarily delay democracy. The court noted that ensuring a time-bound electoral process is a constitutional duty, and no interference should obstruct it.

April 15 Deadline Set for Elections
Citing Supreme Court directives, the bench ordered that all Panchayat elections in Rajasthan must be completed by April 15. The judges stressed that intervening in the ongoing administrative process of delimitation or restructuring at this stage would hinder the electoral schedule, which is against democratic and constitutional principles.

Supreme Court’s Prior Approval
The High Court also referred to a recent Supreme Court order, in which a bench led by Chief Justice Suryakant and Justice Joymala Bagchi had dismissed a similar petition earlier this month, allowing Rajasthan’s delimitation and restructuring process to proceed without judicial interference.

Legal Clarity for Smooth Polls
Earlier, the High Court had directed the state government to complete statewide delimitation by 31 December 2025 and hold elections of all Panchayati Raj institutions by April 15 or earlier. With the dismissal of these petitions, the administrative hurdles have been removed, paving the way for smooth and timely rural elections, strengthening grassroots democracy in Rajasthan.