Jaipur, July 16 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to announce the schedule for Panchayat and Urban Local Body elections within five days, warning of possible contempt proceedings over the delay in complying with its earlier orders.
A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice, S.P. Sharma and Justice Sanjeet Purohit also directed the state government to announce by Monday the timeline for submission of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) Commission’s report and the draw of lots required for reservation of seats.
State Election Commissioner, Rajeshwar Singh and the Member Secretary of the OBC Commission were present during the hearing.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the delay, the Bench asked the State Election Commissioner, “Why should contempt proceedings not be initiated against you?”
In response, the Election Commissioner told the court that the Commission was ready to conduct the polls but was awaiting the government’s reservation classification.
“We are fully prepared. The government has not yet provided us with the reservation classification. Once the government completes the lottery process and hands it over to us, we can initiate the election process within two days,” he submitted.
The Bench also questioned the delay in the OBC Commission’s report, observing that the Commission had been constituted on May 9, 2025, for a three-month term.
“If you are unable to complete the task, you should say so,” the court remarked while seeking an explanation for the prolonged delay.
The High Court had earlier, in its May 22 order, directed the state government and the State Election Commission to complete the Panchayat and Urban Local Body election process by July 31, 2026. However, the election process has yet to begin.
During an earlier hearing, the High Court had expressed strong displeasure over the delay in holding the elections, observing that timely local body polls are a constitutional requirement.
The Bench had warned that if the State Election Commission failed to discharge its responsibilities, the court could consider appointing an independent authority to oversee the election process.
It had also cautioned the state government against further delays and indicated that stricter orders could follow if the court’s directions were not implemented.
–IANS
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