To honor the Dhanteras celebrations and streamline the voting timeline, the Rajasthan State Election Commission has moved the schedule for the first three phases of the 2026 Panchayati Raj elections forward by one day. This change guarantees that no polling activity will overlap with the festive period.
Phase 1 – Revised Dates
- Team departure: 21 October
- Zila Parishad & Panchayat Samiti voting: 22 October
- Panch & Sarpanch nominations: 23 October
- Panch & Sarpanch voting: 24 October
- Up‑Sarpanch election: 25 October
Phase 2 – Updated Schedule
- Team departure: 27 October
- Zila Parishad & Panchayat Samiti voting: 28 October
- Panch & Sarpanch nominations: 29 October
- Panch & Sarpanch voting: 30 October
- Up‑Sarpanch election: 31 October
Phase 3 – New Timeline
- Team departure: 2 November
- Zila Parishad & Panchayat Samiti voting: 3 November
- Panch & Sarpanch nominations: 4 November
- Panch & Sarpanch voting: 5 November
- Up‑Sarpanch election: 6 November
Phase 4 – No Adjustments
- Zila Parishad & Panchayat Samiti voting: 14 November
- Panch & Sarpanch voting: 16 November
- Result counting for Zila Parishad & Panchayat Samiti: 20 November
The commission stressed that the realignment is solely intended to keep the electoral process separate from Dhanteras festivities. Across the state, the elections will involve 41 Zila Parishads, 457 Panchayat Samitis, and a massive 14,403 Gram Panchayats.
