India, May 23 -- In a major ruling on the long-pending local body elections in Rajasthan, the Rajasthan High Court on Friday directed the state government and the State Election Commission to complete panchayat and municipal elections across the state by July 31, 2026. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sanjeet Purohit also directed the OBC Commission to submit its report by June 20 to facilitate completion of the reservation determination process before the announcement of the election schedule. The bench had reserved its judgment on May 11 after hearing detailed arguments from both the state government and the petitioners. The Rajasthan government had sought permission to defer the panchayat and urban local body elections till December 2026. During the hearing, the government argued that elections could not be conducted within the earlier timeline because the OBC Commission's report was still pending. It also cited ward delimitation issues, shortage of staff, lack of Electronic Voting Machines, and other logistical constraints. "Rejecting the plea for a long postponement, the High Court observed that elections to democratic institutions cannot be delayed indefinitely and fixed July 31 as the final deadline for completion of the electoral process," said Sanyam Lodha, petitioner and former member of the legislative assembly. He added that the OBC Commission had been asked to submit its report by June 20. The matter originated from the High Court's November 14, 2025 order, in which the court, while hearing 439 petitions together, had directed the state government to conduct panchayat and municipal elections by April 15, 2026. However, the elections were not held within the stipulated time, prompting the state government and the State Election Commission to approach the court seeking an extension. The government also argued that several panchayat samitis and zila parishads are scheduled to complete their tenure between September and December 2026 and that conducting all elections simultaneously would strengthen the "One State-One Election" concept while reducing administrative expenditure. Advocate General Rajendra Prasad told the court that conducting elections in rural areas during May and June would be difficult because of extreme heat, while the monsoon season and agricultural activities from July to September would also pose challenges. The state further informed the court that nearly 68,000 polling stations would have to be set up across Rajasthan, requiring around 3.4 lakh personnel for the electoral exercise. On the other hand, petitioners, including former MLA Sanyam Lodha and advocate PC Devanda, alleged that the government had deliberately delayed the elections for political reasons. They also sought contempt proceedings against the government for failing to comply with the earlier April 15 deadline. Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully welcomed the court's order directing the state government to conduct panchayat and municipal elections by July 31, calling it a "victory of democracy" and the result of the party's sustained struggle. "The court's decision had exposed the government's "anti-democratic mindset" and boosted the morale of party workers, who would now take the issue to villages and urban wards across Rajasthan." Reacting to the High Court verdict, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state secretary Mukesh Pareek said both the BJP government and the party organisation were fully prepared for the panchayat and municipal polls in Rajasthan. He said the delay in conducting elections was due to the pending OBC Commission report and welcomed the court's decision. He said the BJP would contest and win the elections on the basis of its leadership and the development works carried out by the government. While the High Court refrained from initiating strict contempt proceedings, it fixed a final timeline for the polls and directed the OBC Commission to submit its report by June 20. Following this, the State Election Commission is expected to initiate the election process. Following the court's verdict, notifications for the panchayat and municipal elections are likely to be issued in the last week of June or early July....