Jaipur . Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday accused the BJP-led state government of pushing Rajasthan towards a “constitutional crisis” by not holding elections for panchayats and urban local bodies for over a year.
Gehlot said the delay and appointment of government administrators in place of elected representatives reflected an “undemocratic mindset” and a direct attack on democratic institutions. “Not holding elections on time is not just an administrative lapse but a violation of constitutional provisions. Articles 243E and 243U mandate a five-year tenure and timely elections for panchayats and urban local bodies, while Article 243K entrusts this responsibility to an independent State Election Commission,” he said.
He said, “When a government repeatedly violates Articles 243E, 243U and 243K of the Constitution, restricts the franchise of citizens for more than a year and disregards the express directions of the Court, it is not just an administrative failure but a clear example of ‘constitutional collapse’.”
Gehlot alleged that the state government tried to postpone the elections on grounds such as delimitation, reorganization and ‘one state, one election’ initiative whereas the Supreme Court in the Vikas Kishanrao Gawli (2021) case had ruled that postponing elections for such reasons cannot be justified.
He also pointed out that despite repeated directions given by the Rajasthan High Court in 2025, the state government failed to take action.
He said, “The Rajasthan High Court issued repeated directions in February, March and November 2025, yet the government disregarded them every time. Ultimately, while delivering a joint judgment on 439 petitions, the Court set the deadline of April 15. The Supreme Court’s upholding of this order by dismissing the Special Leave Petition (SLP) is proof that the judiciary has made its stand clear. However, the lack of seriousness on the part of the government is clearly visible.”
“Despite the deadline of April 15 being set and the Supreme Court upholding the order rejecting the SLP, the lack of seriousness of the government is clearly visible,” he said.
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