Rajasthan Panchayat Elections Announced, Voting To Begin From October 23

The Rajasthan State Election Commission has announced the 2026 Panchayati Raj elections, with voting to be held in four phases across the state from October 23 to November 16. The election schedule was announced on October 3. 

The polls will cover 41 Zila Parishads, 457 Panchayat Samitis and 14,403 Gram Panchayats following the delimitation and reorganisation of Panchayati Raj institutions. More than 4.03 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots, with 45,384 polling stations to be set up across Rajasthan.

Four-Phase Poll Schedule

Elections for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members will be held on October 23, October 29, November 4 and November 14. Voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm.

Elections for Panch and Sarpanch posts will follow a separate four-phase schedule, with polling on October 25, October 31, November 6 and November 16. Counting for these posts will begin immediately after polling. 

Over 4 Crore Voters To Cast Ballots

The State Election Commission said 4,03,07,308 voters are eligible for the elections. Of them, 2,08,87,351 are men, 1,94,19,789 are women and 168 are third-gender voters. The electorate has increased by 6.22% compared with the 2020-21 Panchayati Raj elections.

The elections will choose 1,55,138 public representatives across Rajasthan's rural local bodies. The number of Zila Parishads has increased from 33 to 41, while Panchayat Samitis have risen from 352 to 457 following the reorganisation. 

The elections for Zila Pramukh, Up-Zila Pramukh, Pradhan and Up-Pradhan will be reportedly held after the completion of the member elections. In four Zila Parishads ‘Baran, Sri Ganganagar, Karauli and Kota’ the corresponding top-level elections will be held later because of the terms of the incumbent office-bearers.