Jaipur, October 3 (Daily Kiran) : The Rajasthan State Election Commission has unveiled the schedule for the upcoming Panchayati Raj elections, set to take place across four phases. Voting will occur on October 23, October 29, November 4, and November 14 for district council and panchayat committee members. Elections for sarpanch and ward panch positions will be held on October 25, October 31, November 6, and November 16.
Votes for sarpanch and ward panch elections will be counted on the same day, while the counting for district council and panchayat committee members will take place on November 20. With the announcement of the election schedule, the model code of conduct has come into effect in rural Rajasthan. Approximately 169,000 representatives will be elected in these elections.
The elections will select 1,403 district council members, 8,245 panchayat committee members, and 14,403 sarpanchs. Elected district council members will subsequently choose 41 district chiefs, while panchayat committee members will elect 457 heads.
Voting for district council and panchayat committee members will occur in four phases: the first on October 23, the second on October 29, the third on November 4, and the fourth on November 14. For sarpanch and ward panch positions, voting will be conducted using ballot papers, whereas electronic voting machines (EVMs) will be used for district council and panchayat committee elections.
Women have been granted a 50% reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions. It is anticipated that around 7,200 women will be elected as sarpanchs, with over 63,000 ward panch positions reserved for women. Among the 41 district chief positions, 20 are reserved for women, and 221 out of 457 head positions are also reserved for them.
Of the sarpanch positions, 3,058 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes, 2,493 for Scheduled Castes, and 1,961 for Other Backward Classes. Approximately 130,000 ward panch positions include 21,962 for SC candidates, 19,117 for ST candidates, and nearly 15,000 for OBC candidates.
Around 40.3 million voters are eligible to participate in the Panchayati Raj elections. Jaipur has the highest number of voters at approximately 1.899 million, while Jaisalmer has the lowest, with around 436,000 voters.
Elections for district chiefs and heads will follow the elections for district council and panchayat committee members. These elections are scheduled for November 25, with the entire electoral process expected to conclude by November 28.
In Kota, Sri Ganganagar, Baran, and Karauli, the terms of the current chiefs and heads will end in December 2026. However, the elections for district council and panchayat committee members in these districts will coincide with those in the rest of the state.
With the announcement of the election schedule, the model code of conduct is now in effect in rural areas. Transfers of government employees have been halted, and there are restrictions on the use of government resources for political purposes by ministers and other public representatives. The Rajasthan government is prohibited from announcing any new schemes or programs that might influence voters during the election period.
Both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress face a significant test at the organizational level in these Panchayati Raj elections, given the large number of seats at the village and block levels.
The outcome will determine the composition of 457 panchayat committees and 41 district councils, with elected members later choosing heads and district chiefs. Consequently, political parties will closely monitor the distribution of seats in these bodies, which will also include the election of their respective chairpersons.
Leave a Comment