Jaipur, Dec 19 Local body and Panchayati Raj elections in Rajasthan will be held by April 15, 2026, as the Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with the Rajasthan High Court’s order on the matter and dismissed the Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by former MLA Sanyam Lodha.
A bench comprising Justice Joymala Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi heard the petition and upheld the High Court’s decision, declining any intervention.
The SLP had challenged the Rajasthan High Court’s November 14, 2025, order, which held that elections must be conducted after completion of the term of urban local bodies in accordance with constitutional provisions, and that delimitation cannot be cited as a reason to indefinitely delay elections.
Appearing for the Rajasthan government, Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj and Additional Advocate General Shivamangal Sharma submitted that the state is committed to conducting the elections within the timeframe fixed by the High Court and that the process is already underway.
They argued that the High Court’s order is balanced and in line with the statutory framework governing local self-government. Any interference by the Supreme Court at this stage, they said, would disrupt the statewide delimitation exercise, create uncertainty over ward boundaries, voter lists and reservation rosters, and lead to administrative complications across the state.
In its November 14 judgment, delivered while disposing of around 439 petitions, the Rajasthan High Court had directed the state government to complete the delimitation process by December 31 and to conduct panchayat and local body elections by April 15, 2026.
The court had also clarified that once the delimitation process is completed and its final notification issued, it cannot be challenged in court.
With the Supreme Court’s refusal to intervene, the High Court’s timeline for the elections will remain in force.
--IANS
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