Jaipur: Bracing for a high court contempt hearing, Tuesday, over delayed local body elections, the Rajasthan govt moved, Monday, to request an extension until Nov, citing the massive scale of the polls and ongoing work to finalize OBC political reservations. The application was filed ahead of Tuesday’s hearing of a contempt plea moved by independent MLA Sanyam Lodha, who has alleged wilful non-compliance with court directions to hold the elections. The govt told the court that nearly 50% of Rajasthan’s population belongs to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and constitutionally valid political reservation must be finalised before the election schedule can be announced. It said the Rajasthan OBC Commission has informed it that its report will be submitted by Aug 14, following which reservation details are expected to be finalised by Aug 31. The state also placed on record a July 6 communication from the State Election Commission, which said it would require about 90 days to conduct the elections after receiving reservation details. According to the commission, polls to around 14,000 gram panchayats would take 50 days in four phases, while elections to over 300 urban local bodies would require another 40 days in two phases. The high court had directed the state on Nov 14, 2025, to complete the elections by April 15, 2026. The Supreme Court upheld that order on Dec 19, 2025, after which Lodha initiated contempt proceedings alleging continued non-compliance.
