Rajasthan’s Panchayati Raj election process is set to begin with the State Election Commission’s announcement of the poll schedule, bringing the Model Code of Conduct into force across rural areas and restricting government decisions, transfers and new public works during the electoral period.
The commission has called a news conference at 3 pm on October 3 to announce the timetable. The code is expected to remain in force for around two months, while the elections are likely to be conducted in four phases. The final dates and phase-wise details are expected to be released by the commission.
The elections will use ballot papers for choosing sarpanchs and ward panchs, while electronic voting machines will be used for elections to panchayat samiti and zila parishad members. The process will elect nearly 1.69 lakh representatives to Rajasthan’s three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions.
At the district and block levels, voters will elect 1,403 zila parishad members and 8,245 panchayat samiti members. These representatives will subsequently elect 41 zila pramukhs and 457 pradhans. At the village level, elections will be held for sarpanchs and 1,26,853 ward panchs across 14,403 gram panchayats, along with the election of deputy sarpanchs.
The election will also determine the composition of rural local governments under Rajasthan’s 50% reservation provision for women. Twenty of the 41 zila pramukh posts are reserved for women, as are 221 of the 457 pradhan posts. The process is expected to result in the election of about 7,200 women sarpanchs and more than 63,000 women ward panchs.
The Model Code of Conduct will place restrictions on administrative decisions in rural Rajasthan, including transfers and government announcements. Its implementation will also affect the timing of local infrastructure and civic works, making the election schedule significant for village-level administration and public service delivery.
A day before the code is scheduled to come into force, Panchayati Raj minister Madan Dilawar directed officials to accelerate the installation of streetlights in villages through a phased programme. He called for lighting at main habitations, roads, markets, bus stands, panchayat buildings, schools, Anganwadi centres and health centres, with priority for slum areas and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe habitations.
The minister also directed officials to install solar-powered streetlights in areas without regular electricity supply. Other instructions included a campaign to cover open borewells and the appointment of nodal officers to address problems involving cremation grounds, playgrounds and the disposal of dead animals.
The State Election Commission’s October 3 news conference is expected to establish the formal election timetable and clarify the operational milestones for Rajasthan’s rural local-body polls.