The Congress party on Friday welcomed the Rajasthan High Court's directive to the state government and the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct panchayat and urban local body elections by July 31. Senior party functionaries accused the state's BJP government of deliberately delaying the democratic process for nearly two years.
Congress Leaders React to Court Order
Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra described the verdict as a "resounding slap on those who padlocked democracy." He alleged that the BJP government repeatedly postponed elections on various pretexts to avoid facing the people. Dotasra said the BJP government cited reasons such as "One State-One Election," pending OBC reservation reports, shortage of staff, weather conditions, and the academic session to defer the polls.
He alleged that despite an earlier court direction issued on November 14, 2025, to complete elections by April 15, 2026, the state government "deliberately ignored" the order. "The truth is that the BJP fears the people's mandate. That is why elected local governments were dissolved and power handed over to bureaucrats," Dotasra said, adding that postponing elections for such a prolonged period weakened democratic institutions and the spirit of the Constitution.
Opposition Leader's Remarks
Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully also welcomed the High Court order, terming it a "historic victory for democracy" and a setback for what he called the BJP's "anti-democracy mindset." Jully alleged that the BJP government failed to deliver development over the past two-and-a-half years and was now "afraid" of facing voters in villages and towns. "The government wanted to postpone elections to hide its failures, but the court's intervention has foiled those intentions," he said.
Jully further claimed that the opposition party consistently raised the issue "from the streets to the Assembly," accusing the BJP of suppressing democratic rights by delaying panchayat and urban local body elections. He said Congress workers would now take the issue to the people and expose the government's "anti-people policies."
AICC General Secretary's Statement
AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot also welcomed the court ruling and said timely elections were a fundamental principle of democracy. He said the prolonged absence of elected representatives caused hardships to the public and expressed hope that the state government would comply with the court's directions without further delay.
