Supreme Court Upholds Rajasthan High Court Timeline For Local Body Elections

Jaipur: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Rajasthan High Court's timeline for local body elections. Disposing of a petition challenging the delimitation process, election timeline, and appointment of administrators in local bodies across Rajasthan, the apex court maintained the schedule fixed by the Rajasthan High Court for holding elections by April 2026 to Panchayati Raj Institutions and Municipalities.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Justice Joymala Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi declined to interfere with the Rajasthan High Court’s judgment dated November 14, 2025, which had permitted completion of a state-wide delimitation exercise before elections and directed that the entire electoral process be concluded on or before April 15, 2026.

The petition filed by the Congress leader and former MLA Sanyam Lodha assailed the High Court’s decision rendered in a batch of writ petitions, including D.B. Civil Writ Petition, questioning the legality of the ongoing delimitation of Panchayat and municipal wards, the postponement of elections beyond the five-year term of elected bodies, and the continuation of administrators during the interregnum.

It was stated in the petition that elections to local bodies must be conducted immediately upon expiry of their tenure under Articles 243-E and 243-U of the Constitution and that delimitation could not be used as a ground to defer the democratic process.

AAG of the state Shiv Mangal Sharma said that the state opposing the petition submitted that the state shall conclude elections within the time lines granted by the High Court, and the process is on.

The Rajasthan High Court had upheld the statutory powers of the state government to undertake a comprehensive delimitation exercise before elections and directed that elections be held after completion of delimitation, while fixing a strict outer time limit of April 15, 2026, for completion of the entire electoral exercise.