Jaipur:Â Rajasthan will hold its 2026 Panchayati Raj elections in four phases, with voting beginning on October 23 and the election process continuing through November, the State Election Commission announced on Saturday.
The elections will cover 41 Zila Parishads, 457 Panchayat Samitis and 14,403 Gram Panchayats, with around 1.69 lakh Panchayati Raj representatives to be elected across the state.
Four-phase voting schedule announced
Voting for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members will take place in four phases on October 23, October 29, November 4 and November 14.
Polling for Sarpanch and Ward Panch posts will follow in four phases on October 25, October 31, November 6 and November 16.
Voting will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Model Code of Conduct has come into force across rural Rajasthan following the announcement of the election schedule.
1,403 Zila Parishad and 8,245 Panchayat Samiti members to be elected
The polls will elect 1,403 Zila Parishad members and 8,245 Panchayat Samiti members, who will subsequently elect 41 Zila Pramukhs and 457 Pradhans.
At the village level, elections will be held across 14,403 Gram Panchayats for Sarpanch and Ward Panch posts.
Elections for Sarpanch and Ward Panch posts will be conducted using ballot papers, while Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti member elections will be conducted through EVMs.
Counting on November 20
Counting for Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti member elections will take place on November 20 from 8 a.m.
Counting for Sarpanch and Ward Panch elections will begin immediately after polling ends on the respective polling days at the concerned Gram Panchayat headquarters.
The subsequent elections for Zila Pramukh, Up-Zila Pramukh, Pradhan and Up-Pradhan posts will be held later in November.
The elections will also follow the 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions. The four-phase exercise is expected to decide the composition of Rajasthan’s rural local governance system for the coming term.