Jaipur, Apr 8 (PTI) Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday alleged that a “constitutional crisis” is deepening in the state due to the BJP government’s “undemocratic approach”.
Gehlot said that elections to panchayats and urban local bodies have not been held for over a year and administrators have been appointed in their place, which he termed a direct attack on democratic governance.
He cited provisions of the Constitution, including Articles 243E and 243U, which mandate a five-year term for panchayats and urban local bodies and require timely elections. He also referred to Article 243K, which provides for an independent State Election Commission to conduct polls, saying elections are a constitutional obligation and not subject to the government’s discretion.
“The state government has delayed elections on grounds such as delimitation, reorganisation and ‘one state, one election’. Supreme Court, in the Vikas Kishanrao Gawali (2021) case, has clearly stated that such reasons cannot be valid grounds to postpone elections,” he said.
He said the Rajasthan High Court had issued directions on multiple occasions in 2025, and later set a deadline of April 15, 2026.
“While deciding 439 petitions together, the high court fixed April 15, 2026 as the final deadline. The Supreme Court’s subsequent dismissal of the Special Leave Petition (SLP) — thereby upholding this order — serves as proof that the judiciary has made its stance unequivocally clear,” he said.
However, a lack of seriousness remains evident on the part of the government, Gehlot said.
The former chief minister alleged that continued delay in holding elections and non-compliance with court directions amount to a “breakdown of constitutional governance”, and said the spirit of decentralisation and local self-governance envisaged under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments is being undermined.
“People will not accept denial of their democratic rights,” he said. PTI SDA — MNK MNK MNK
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