Congress alleges the BJP government is deliberately delaying panchayati raj and urban body elections, weakening democracy.
Govind Singh Dotasra claims delimitation delays have stalled electoral rolls and cost Rajasthan ₹3,000 crore in central funds.
BJP president Madan Rathore rejects the charge, saying delimitation is handled independently by the Election Commission.
Rajasthan Congress Accuses BJP Of Delaying Local Body Elections
Congress says “One State, One Election” is being used to stall grassroots polls; BJP denies interference.
Summary
Under the pretence of "One State, One Election," the BJP-led state administration was accused by the Rajasthan Congress on Tuesday of purposefully postponing panchayati raj and urban local body polls.
While Madan Rathore, the state president of the BJP, stated that the delimitation process is properly carried out by the Election Commission without any political involvement, the party claimed that the action has damaged democratic processes and impeded grassroots development.
Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra stated at a press conference that it was "impractical" to have simultaneous elections in multiple panchayat samitis and zila parishads as their terms were still in effect until December 2026.
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.
In addition, he accused the BJP leadership of trying to sway election results by postponing the finalisation of ward lines and of engaging in political meddling in the delimitation process.
Dotasra was attacked by Rathore, who claimed that because he "speaks before thinking," his remarks had become "low-level and unparliamentary."
A good public official should display discipline in public discourse, he said, adding that Dotasra's rhetoric was a reflection of political anger and despair.
Responding to Congress's allegations on panchayat and district council delimitation, Rathore said the process is carried out strictly by the Election Commission without any political interference.
He claimed Congress had a history of politicising delimitation and accused the party of fearing defeat in the upcoming elections.
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