Jaipur, June 13 : Rajasthanâ??s Panchayats and urban local bodies have been without elected representatives for several months, with the election process yet to begin despite a High Court directive to complete polls by July 31.

So far, no poll notification has been issued. It has been almost seven months since the High Court first intervened; however, the election process has been trapped in a pack of files, commissions, and official correspondence. Every institution involved appears to have found someone else to blame.

The State Election Commission says it is waiting for reservation details. The state government says reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women can only be finalised after the OBC quota is determined.

The OBC Commission, meanwhile, is still collecting district-level data to complete its exercise. The High Court had originally directed the state to conduct Panchayat and civic body elections by April 15. As the deadline approached, the Bhajanlal Sharma government sought more time and secured an extension. The new deadline was fixed at July 31.

With less than two months remaining, however, the electoral process appears nowhere near the finish line. The issue of delay is now in court again. Former MLA Sanyam Lodha and others recently filed a contempt petition, arguing that despite judicial directions, elections have still not been held. The petition seeks action against the State Election Commissioner and senior officials of the Commission. The Election Commission has already published voter lists and sought reservation-related data from the Panchayati Raj and Local Self-Government departments.

The OBC Political Representation Commission has asked district collectors for updated information needed to conduct surveys. The state government has responded that reservations for SCs, STs, and women cannot be finalised until the OBC exercise is completed. The ball keeps moving from one court to another, but nobody is taking the shot.

Now there comes a Constitutional Question. Former State Election Commissioner Madhukar Gupta argues that local body elections cannot be treated as optional exercises. "If Lok Sabha and Assembly elections cannot be postponed, Panchayat and municipal elections should not be delayed either. Elections are like examinations; nobody wants to take them, but they are mandatory," he says.

Gupta points out that states such as Punjab eventually conducted local body polls only after strong interventions from the High Courts and the Supreme Court.

Former Chief Secretary and State Election Commissioner Indrajit Khanna goes further. According to him, failure to conduct local body elections on time creates an unconstitutional situation. His warning underscores a growing concern -- governments change, courts intervene, and commissions exchange letters, while voting exercises and democracy remain in limbo.

/IANS