Rajasthan govt delaying panchayat raj, local body polls in name of 'One State, One Election': Cong

Jaipur, Jan 20 (PTI) The Rajasthan Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP-led state government of deliberately delaying panchayati raj and urban local body elections under the guise of "One State, One Election".

The party alleged that the move has stalled grassroots development and undermined democratic processes.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra said elections could not be held in several panchayat samitis and zila parishads as their terms were still valid till December 2026, making the concept of simultaneous elections "impractical".

He alleged that despite the lapse of official deadlines, the final publication of ward delimitation lists had not been completed in any district, which had in turn stalled the preparation of electoral rolls.

"This clearly shows that the state government has no intention of conducting panchayat elections," Dotasra said.

The Congress leader claimed that the Centre had withheld nearly Rs 3,000 crore in funds to Rajasthan due to the non-conduct of panchayat elections, and alleged that the state government was now attempting to rush the process in violation of rules.

He further alleged political interference in the delimitation process and accused the BJP leadership of attempting to influence electoral outcomes by delaying the finalisation of ward boundaries. PTI AG NB NB