Rajasthan

Sanyukt Abhibhavak Sangh has written to State Election Commission in Rajasthan. They want Panchayat elections to be held after Diwali. The reason is simple. Schools are busy with half-yearly exams between Oct 15 and 29.

Why timing matters

State spokesperson Abhishek Jain Bittu pointed out a real problem. Government teachers and employees often get pulled for election duty. Schools are also turned into polling stations.

Both things together could mess up exam arrangements and students' studies.

The parents' body wants better coordination. They say the Education Department's exam and holiday calendars should match the election schedule. They have also asked authorities to keep enough gap between exams and election-related activities at school polling stations.

A formal representation has been sent to State Election Commission and other concerned authorities. The demand is clear: hold Panchayat polls after Diwali.

Rajasthan's Panchayati Raj elections are scheduled. The State Election Commission has announced a four-phase plan starting October 23. It covers 14,403 Gram Panchayats, 457 Panchayat Samitis, and 41 Zila Parishads.

When is voting? For Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members, voting is on October 23, October 29, November 4, and November 14. Voting runs from 7 am to 6 pm. Counting for these posts is at district headquarters on November 20.

Panch and sarpanch elections follow on October 25, October 31, November 6, and November 16. Counting happens right after polling at each Gram Panchayat headquarters. Deputy sarpanch polls are on October 26, November 1, November 7, and November 17.

Leadership posts come later. Zila Pramukh elections are on November 25. Up-Zila Pramukh is on November 26. Panchayat Samiti Pradhans are on November 27, and Up-Pradhans on November 28.

How many voters? Over 4.03 crore voters will be eligible to vote. There are 45,384 polling stations. Here's the breakdown: 2,08,87,351 men, 1,94,19,789 women, and 168 third-gender voters.

The Model Code of Conduct is now in place in rural areas. The state government cannot announce new development projects or work orders until the polls conclude.

How voting will work: A mix of methods is being used this time. Sarpanch and Ward Panch elections will use ballot papers. EVMs will be used for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti member elections. The Commission says this supports its 'One State, One Election' approach.

Elections in Baran, Sri Ganganagar, Karauli, and Kota districts will be held after December 22, 2026. The tenure of certain bodies there has not expired yet.

Govind Singh Dotasra, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president, has asked the state Election Commission to look into alleged biased conduct by returning officers, police and administration during the recent urban local body elections.

In a three-page complaint filed on Tuesday, Dotasra said Congress and Independent councillors were lured, threatened and in some cases attempts were made to abduct them while civic bodies were being formed. He asked for a fair inquiry and action against officials found responsible.

He alleged that voting was extended beyond the set deadline in several places without any reason. In some areas, results were announced early and valid votes for Congress candidates were rejected. He also said officials from GST, income tax, food adulteration and labour welfare departments inspected business places linked to elected councillors to pressure their families.

Dotasra also said that 152 FIRs and complaints were filed against non-BJP functionaries during the municipal polls. He asked for a review of all cases and action against guilty officials if these turn out to be politically motivated.

The complaint mentions alleged incidents in Tijara, Srivijaynagar, Suratgarh, Bharatpur, Ajmer, Pali, Sikar, Jalore, Barmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Churu, Sriganganagar and Nagaur. Around 18 Congress-supported councillors were reportedly stopped by Haryana Police before voting in the Tijara municipal council election.

Voting took place on September 14. Elections for chairperson, president and mayor posts followed on September 21.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra and Congress' Rajasthan in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa were detained during a protest march to Election Commission of India's state office in Jaipur on Monday. Police took all Congress seniors and several workers in vans to Vidyadhar Nagar police station. They were let go after being held for nearly two hours.

Congress workers gathered at Shahid Smarak on MI Road around noon, carrying party flags and shouting slogans against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Tension grew as the march got close to police barricades. Police used water cannons to push back protesters, and traffic on MI Road was diverted.

Why Congress is protesting

The march was part of Congress's nationwide agitation against CEC Gyanesh Kumar. The party alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and misuse of government machinery in the municipal elections in Rajasthan that just wrapped up.

Gehlot alleged that the SIR was being used to delete voters who support non-BJP parties. He called it one of the worst attacks on democracy and demanded that all decisions taken by the CEC be re-checked by former chief election commissioners.

Dotasra said Congress will recheck the SIR exercise in Rajasthan. The party suspects names of their voters have been deleted, especially in constituencies where Congress is strong. Jully called Kumar a "BJP agent" as the party stepped up its campaign against the SIR exercise.

Rajasthan election authorities have tightened rules for polling agents before the upcoming panchayat polls. The state is preparing early to keep polling smooth and clear at the local level.

Under the new rules, parties and candidates must make sure their polling agents meet stricter eligibility and ID checks. This could change how campaign teams get ready for polling day. If you plan to serve as a polling agent in Rajasthan, check the latest guidelines carefully before registering.

Why Polling Agent Rules Matter in Rajasthan

Panchayat elections are very important in Rajasthan. They decide who manages local development, sanitation, water supply, and roads in your area. Stricter rules for polling agents show that Election Commission wants cleaner processes from the ground up.

More details on the election schedule and candidate list will be shared soon.

BJP candidates have won the mayoral elections at Jaipur, Jodhpur and Kota municipal corporations in Rajasthan. Sunil Kothari took charge as the new Mayor of Jaipur, defeating Congress candidate Sunita Mawar by 29 votes. He secured 89 votes against her 60, with the backing of 11 Independent councillors.

Prasanna Chand Mehta was elected Mayor of Jodhpur with 53 votes, beating Congress candidate Rajendra Solanki who got 47. Anusuiya Goswami won the Kota Mayor race comfortably, securing 65 votes against Congress candidate Sunita Suman's 35.

BJP also claimed a narrow victory at Suket municipality in Kota district, where its candidate Jitendra Chopra defeated Congress candidate Umardeen Khan by just one vote, 13 to 12.

Elections were held separately after repolling in some wards due to technical glitches during the urban local body polls earlier this month. In Jaipur, Congress MLA Rafiq Khan staged a sit-in protest after being denied entry into the municipal corporation premises. He alleged BJP was using administrative machinery to stop Congress councillors from voting. Mr. Khan, representing Adarsh Nagar Assembly constituency, said he would move a privilege motion on the issue.

Election authorities in Rajasthan will hold the seat reservation lottery for upcoming panchayat polls across 41 districts on September 23 and 24. This work was delayed earlier because of municipal election duties.

The lottery will set seat reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and women at both the zilla parishad and gram panchayat levels. In Jaipur, District Collector Sandesh Nayak said the reservation process for zilla parishad members and panchayat samiti pradhans happens at the district collectorate auditorium on September 23. Sub-division offices will manage the other category allocations on September 24.

Election Process Details

This process is part of the One State, One Election framework. It makes sure seat distribution is clear before rural polls begin.