Jaipur: The Supreme Court Monday granted its final nod to Rajasthan’s panchayat delimitation and reorganisation exercise, dismissing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by villagers of revenue village Singhaniya Monday. With this, the apex court paved the way for panchayat elections in the state to proceed as scheduled and be completed by Apr 15.A Bench comprising the Chief Justice of India and Justice Joymala Bagchi refused to interfere with the process, thereby upholding the Rajasthan high court’s judgment dated Nov 14, 2025. The high court earlier validated the statewide delimitation exercise, directed its completion by Dec 31, 2025, and ordered elections to all Panchayati Raj institutions on or before Apr 15. The petitioners challenged the high court’s decision, contending that their villages were merged with another gram panchayat situated at a considerable distance. They cited difficult terrain, lack of road connectivity, and alleged violation of distance-related norms as grounds for challenge. Opposing the plea, Aaditional Aavocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma, appearing for Rajasthan, submitted that the delimitation process was already lawfully completed within the timeline fixed by the HC. “The State Election Commission initiated preparatory steps, including directions for voter list preparation, and the election process was already underway. Distance is not the sole criterion for delimitation, several factors—such as population, administrative feasibility, governance requirements, and Collector-level reports—are taken into account before final approval at the Cabinet level,” he added. It was further submitted that any judicial interference at this advanced stage would have a cascading effect, potentially requiring redrawing of boundaries of multiple gram panchayats and seriously disrupting the election schedule. After hearing both sides, the Supreme Court declined to entertain the SLP and dismissed it, affirming the completed delimitation exercise.
