Rajasthan govt flouting SC orders, Constitution by delaying panchayat polls: Gehlot

Jaipur: Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said the BJP government in Rajasthan was "flouting" Supreme Court orders and the Constitution by delaying elections for Panchayati Raj institutions (PRI) and urban local bodies (ULB).

In a video statement, the former chief minister said the functioning of Panchayati Raj and urban local bodies have nearly come to a halt, and that the BJP was avoiding elections out of fear of losing.

Gehlot alleged that even though the term of the ULBs and PRIs has ended, the state government has appointed administrators instead of conducting elections. Thi was a "direct violation of the Constitution", he said.

The senior Congress leader said Articles 243-E and 243-U of the Constitution mandate elections every five years, and their term cannot exceed this period. He also cited Supreme Court rulings which require panchayat elections every five years.

The Congress leader condemned the government's decision as anti-democratic, saying it undermines the very purpose of these institutions, which is to create grassroots leadership.

The last ULB polls were held in November 2019 and the last PRI elections were conducted in January 2020.