Rajasthan Panchayat and Urban Body Elections to Be Held by April 15, 2026: High Court Orders Clear Timeline

Jaipur: The long-standing uncertainty over Rajasthan’s Panchayat and urban body elections has finally come to an end. The Rajasthan High Court has directed the state government to conduct all Panchayat and municipal elections by 15 April 2026. The court has also mandated that the delimitation process must be completed by 31 December 2025 to ensure timely elections.

High Court Hearing and Orders
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice S.P. Sharma and Justice Sanjeet Purohit heard over 439 petitions related to delays in elections and issues with appointment of administrators in Panchayats and urban bodies. The court refused to interfere in the delimitation process, stating that all complaints regarding delimitation will be addressed by a state-level committee. The bench clarified that once the final notification of delimitation is issued, it cannot be challenged in court.

Administrators Appointed in Panchayats and Urban Bodies Cannot Avoid Court Scrutiny
Many petitions challenged the appointment of administrators in Panchayats and Panchayat Samitis whose terms had expired. The court dismissed all such petitions, observing that there is no legal flaw in the state government’s decision. During the hearing, the court pressed the government on why elections were being delayed, with the Advocate General unable to provide a definite date. The bench initially suggested holding elections by 31 March 2026, but after objections regarding board exams, the final date was extended to 15 April 2026.

Petitioners Argue Elections Cannot Be Postponed
Petitioners’ lawyers highlighted that postponing elections for over 6,700 Panchayats violates Articles 243E and 243K of the Constitution. They argued that Panchayats cannot remain under administrators once their term expires, as elected heads have a constitutional mandate. Similar concerns were raised for municipalities, where administrators were reportedly appointed arbitrarily, violating the Municipalities Act, 2009.

Key Dates for Rajasthan Elections

• Delimitation Completion: 31 December 2025
• Panchayat & Urban Body Elections: 15 April 2026

With this clear directive from the High Court, the Rajasthan government now faces a strict deadline to complete the election process, ending months of uncertainty surrounding local governance elections.