SC declines to interfere in matter of panchayat poll delay in Raj

Jaipur: The Supreme Court Thursday declined to interfere in a special leave petition (SLP) alleging delay in panchayat elections in Rajasthan, while granting liberty to the petitioner to approach the Rajasthan High Court.A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant with Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi alongside, passed the order on the SLP filed by Bihari Lal Ranwa.Advocate Ankur Rastogi, counsel for the petitioner, argued that the state govt was attempting to delay the election despite making earlier submissions before the apex court that the elections would be completed on or before April 15, 2026. "In this scenario, the apex court may issue appropriate directions to ensure that the election is conducted within the stipulated timeline," he argued.After hearing the submissions, the Supreme Court said it was not inclined to interfere in the matter at this stage. "If the petitioner has any grievance regarding compliance with directions issued earlier by the Rajasthan High Court concerning completion of the election process by April 15, 2026, the petitioner could approach the High Court or any other appropriate forum as per law," the court said.The court clarified that the "petitioner remains free to seek relief if there is any alleged violation of the timeline or directions related to the conduct of elections".Accordingly, the court dismissed the SLP while granting liberty to the petitioner to pursue remedies before the competent forum.