LUCKNOW, March 19 -- Even as villages across Uttar Pradesh have slipped into poll mode ahead of the panchayat elections scheduled for April-May, uncertainty looms over the electoral calendar amid indications that the three-tier rural body polls may be deferred. Sources in the government said the possibility of postponement is being weighed in the backdrop of the 2027 assembly elections. There are concerns within the ruling establishment that holding panchayat polls ahead of the state elections could trigger local disputes and tensions among party workers, potentially affecting the political environment in the run-up to the assembly polls. Panchayati Raj minister OP Rajbhar, however, has maintained that elections will be held on time. "All preparations are in place. Ballot boxes have been dispatched to districts. Poll announcements can be made any day," he told a section of media persons only a few days ago. Despite the minister's assertion and claims of preparedness by the State Election Commission (SEC), the lack of visible readiness on the part of the government machinery has fuelled speculation about a deferment. The five-year tenure of the existing village panchayats is coming to an end on May 26, and as per rules, new panchayats must be constituted before the expiry of the current term through a ballot. However, experts say the government is racing against time and that it is quite certain now that panchayat polls cannot be held on time as a lot of time-taking procedures are yet to be initiated and completed. "The government is yet to constitute the commission mandated by the Supreme Court to carry out the 'triple test' for assessing the backwardness of OBCs. Once formed, the panel will take its own time to submit its report. The subsequent exercise of determining reservation for posts for SCs, STs, OBCs and women is also time-consuming and may take over a month. In addition, the State Election Commission requires at least 40 days to complete the poll process from the date of notification," said Sudan Chandola, an expert and former senior panchayati raj officer. The panchayati raj department had sent a proposal to the state government over six months ago to set up a dedicated commission for the 'triple test'. Additional state election commissioner Akhilesh Kumar Mishra said the commission was ready to conduct elections anytime. "The final publication of voter lists will be done this month only and all other preparations are also in place," he claimed. It may be pointed out that unlike Lok Sabha and assembly polls where the Election Commission is the sole body to decide on poll schedule, in case of panchayat elections in UP, the first poll notification is issued by the state government and the SEC's detailed notification comes only after that, thereby meaning the SEC's preparedness means little if the state government is not ready. Sources in the panchayati raj department and the SEC said the government has remained non-committal on holding rural polls. "In review meetings at various levels, there has been no discussion on preparedness for the panchayat elections," a senior official said. Politicians within the ruling establishment privately indicate that the state government may have decided to hold the panchayat polls after the assembly elections next year, to avoid factionalism among its own cadre-a recurring feature of rural contests. "There is every possibility that panchayat polls will be deferred till after the assembly elections. The government and the party do not want local disputes and post-poll bitterness to divide their supporters ahead of the crucial elections just months away," a former minister and Bharatiya Janata Party's former state president said. Meanwhile, a writ petition has been filed in the Allahabad high court by one Imtiaz Hussain, seeking directions to the SEC to place on record a time-bound schedule for completing the entire panchayat election process before the expiry of the current panchayats' five-year term. The court has listed the matter for hearing on March 25....