Jaipur, April 14 -- Senior state Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday demanded immediate elections to urban local bodies and panchayats across Rajasthan. Addressing a press conference in Tonk, Pilot said that both urban and rural bodies were being currently run by administrators, who were not in a position to effectively resolve daily public issues. "There is a strong demand from the public, and our party has consistently said that elections should be held at the earliest so that elected representatives can take charge," he said. Pilot alleged that elections to student unions, municipal bodies and panchayats had not taken place since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power. "The core spirit of democracy, as laid down in the Constitution, cannot be upheld without regular elections. It is unclear what the Election Commission and the government are doing," he said. The high court's April 15 deadline for local body elections was nearing, and elections were yet to be held, he added. "People should have the right to elect their representatives in their wards, municipal corporations, councils and panchayats so that everyday governance issues can be addressed." He alleged that the government feared defeat and was deliberately postponing the elections. "You are neither funding rural development adequately nor conducting panchayat elections. Development is clearly not the government's priority," he added. Pilot also claimed that the implementation of benefits under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) were rendered "almost non-existent" in many villages. "We had always maintained that changing the name was not the objective, but gradually shutting down the scheme was," he said. "Four lakh jobs were announced in the first budget. Two-and-a-half years have passed-how many people have actually been given employment?" added Pilot, alleging that the government was focussing more on publicity rather than governance. Pilot also warned of a looming drinking water crisis in the summer. He urged the administration to take preventive steps, including improving water supply, repairing pipelines and ensuring proper distribution systems. "Pilot should first satisfy the people of his area and then think about the state," said BJP spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma....