Jaipur, April 8: Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, has accused the BJP-led state government of pushing Rajasthan into a “constitutional crisis” by delaying elections for over a year for both panchayats and urban local bodies.
Gehlot stated that the appointment of government administrators in place of elected representatives reflects an “undemocratic mindset” and is a direct attack on democratic institutions.
He emphasized, “Not conducting timely elections is not merely an administrative lapse; it is a violation of constitutional provisions. Articles 243E and 243U mandate a five-year term and timely elections for panchayats and urban local bodies, while Article 243K assigns this responsibility to an independent state election commission.”
He added, “When a government consistently violates Articles 243E, 243U, and 243K, limiting citizens’ voting rights for over a year and disregarding clear court directives, it is not just an administrative failure but a clear example of ‘constitutional decay’.”
Gehlot alleged that the state government attempted to postpone elections under the pretext of delimitation, reorganization, and the ‘one state, one election’ initiative, despite the Supreme Court ruling in the case of Development Kishanrao Gawli (2021) that such reasons do not justify delaying elections.
He also pointed out that despite repeated directives from the Rajasthan High Court in 2025, the state government failed to take action.
“The Rajasthan High Court issued repeated directives in February, March, and November 2025, yet the government ignored them each time. Ultimately, the court set a deadline of April 15 while deciding on 439 petitions. The Supreme Court’s dismissal of the Special Leave Petition (SLP) upholding this order is proof that the judiciary has made its stance clear. However, the government’s lack of seriousness is evident,” he remarked.
Gehlot concluded, “Despite the April 15 deadline being set and the Supreme Court upholding the order by dismissing the SLP, the government’s lack of seriousness is clearly visible.”
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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