Rajasthan local body elections to be completed by November 15, High Court told

The Rajasthan government has informed the state High Court that panchayat and local body elections will be completed by November 15. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government submitted the election schedule during a hearing on a batch of public interest petitions (PILs) on Wednesday. The petitions had sought a court directive to hold the overdue elections for rural and urban local bodies in the state. Panchayat and local body elections are crucial for grassroots governance in Rajasthan, covering village councils and municipal bodies. The previous elections were held in 2020, and the terms of many elected bodies have expired. The High Court has been monitoring the situation due to delays in announcing the election dates. The government assured the court that the entire election process, including polling and counting, will be wrapped up by mid-November. The State Election Commission is expected to announce the detailed schedule soon. Political parties have been demanding timely elections to ensure democratic representation at the local level. The court has asked the government to file a compliance report after the elections are conducted.