Supreme Court to hear plea on delay in Rajasthan municipal polls tomorrow

Jaipur, Dec 18 (LatestNewsX) The long-pending issue of delayed elections to the urban local bodies in Rajasthan has reached the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the matter on December 19.

Congress leader and former MLA Sanyam Lodha has challenged a Rajasthan High Court order that permitted municipal elections to be held by April 2026, seeking immediate elections instead.

Lodha’s petition says that the terms of 52 urban local bodies expired more than a year ago, yet elections have not been conducted, which he claims is a violation of Constitutional provisions governing local self-government.

On November 14, the Rajasthan High Court had directed the state government to conduct municipal elections by April 2026.

Lodha has now approached the Supreme Court, contending that the High Court erred in granting additional time despite clear Constitutional and statutory mandates requiring elections to be held before or immediately after the expiry of municipal terms.

The petition says that the appointment of administrators in place of elected representatives is contrary to the 74th Constitutional Amendment.

It further says that Sections 7 and 11 of the Rajasthan Municipal Act, 2009, do not permit extension of a municipal body’s term beyond its expiry.

According to the petitioner, postponing elections undermines democratic governance and weakens accountability in the implementation of welfare schemes, causing daily inconvenience and systemic damage to citizens.

The plea alleges a malicious and deliberate delay in holding municipal elections, asserting that elections to urban local bodies cannot be postponed indefinitely under any law.

It urges the Supreme Court to exercise its powers under Article 136 of the Constitution and intervene immediately.

The petition cites earlier Supreme Court rulings in similar cases, where states such as Gujarat and Punjab were directed to conduct local body elections without delay, reinforcing the principle that timely elections are Constitutionally mandatory.

arc/khz