File photo Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday accused the BJP government in Rajasthan of weakening grassroots democracy by delaying local body and panchayat elections, alleging that the move was driven by “fear of defeat”.Citing a broader concern over delays in local elections in several states, Pilot told reporters in Tonk that the situation in Rajasthan reflected a “systematic attempt” to avoid democratic accountability at the grassroots level.”Across cities and villages, administrators are in place but they are unable to effectively handle people’s day-to-day issues. There is a widespread demand that elections be held at the earliest,” he said.The former deputy chief minister said that since the BJP came to power in the state, elections to student unions, municipal bodies and panchayat institutions have not been conducted.”Our party has been consistently demanding that elections be held at the earliest. Even after court directions and the April 15 deadline, elections have not been conducted. It is unclear what the Election Commission and the government are doing,” Pilot said.Alleging political motives behind the delay, he said, “It is widely believed that the BJP government does not want to hold elections because the results will not be in their favour. Out of this fear, they are repeatedly postponing polls on one pretext or another.”Pilot also targeted the Centre over the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), claiming that it had been “effectively shut down” in Rajasthan and weakened across the country.”In the villages I visited, MGNREGA work has almost come to a halt. We had warned earlier that renaming schemes was a cover to dilute them. When Congress was in power, lakhs of people benefited, but today the scheme is nearly defunct,” he said.He further alleged that the government was not allocating adequate funds for rural development and was focusing more on “management through advertisements” than actual governance.Questioning the state government’s employment claims, Pilot said, “In the first budget, there was a promise of four lakh jobs. Now two-and-a-half years have passed, how many people have actually been employed?”He asserted that the Congress would continue to mount pressure on the government to conduct elections and address governance issues, saying the current approach was not in the interest of the people.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosTrust Deficit Grows In Ladakh As Activist Sonam Wangchuk Flags Delay In Talks With CentrePatna Posters Push Nishant Kumar As Next Chief Minister Of BiharDelhi To Dehradun In 2.5 Hours? PM To Flag Off India’s New Expressway That Opens New Era Of SpeedWomen’s Quota Bill Back In Focus As PM Modi Urges Parties To Unite For Historic Parliament Move’India Guides World Through Crises’: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Big Message Amid US-Iran DeadlockNoida Worker Protest Over Pay Turns Violent As Dispute Escalates Into Chaos, Police Use Tear GasDelimitation Row Heats Up As Sonia Gandhi Slams Modi Govt Over Timing, Process Of Women’s Quota BillIran Lauds India’s Stand After US Talks, Says Strait Of Hormuz Belongs To All NationsUS-Iran Deal HITS DEAD END, Trump SHIFTS TO Pakistan Praise, Replays India-Pak War ClaimMEA Slams China’s ‘Mischievous Attempts’, Rejects Fictitious Names to Arunachal Pradesh Locations123Photostories5 types of soul contracts and how to recognize yoursLearn these powerful life lessons from Guru Gobind Singh based on your numberFrom net worth of approximately Rs 215 crore to a luxurious house in Mumbai: Samay Raina’s lavish lifestyleChilling space facts that will stay in your mind long after readingAbhishek Sharma’s crores worth Chandigarh house is a sanctuary of family comfort, his rising cricket career and a beautiful puja roomHow parents can manage kids’ junk food cravings9 food destinations that should be on every foodie’s bucket list6 stunning buildings designed by women architects that are marvels of creativityWhy did Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle always swear by white sarees – Faith, fashion, or strategy?Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper service coming soon; what we know123Hot PicksIran war ceasefirePAN Card application 2026Purple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingTS Dost ScheduleIPL Schedule this weekUK Doctors NewsMorgan StanleyTim DavidJasprit BumrahIPL Points TableRohit SharmaSara TendulkarHardik Pandya
Senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday accused the BJP government in Rajasthan of weakening grassroots democracy by delaying local body and panchayat elections, alleging that the move was driven by “fear of defeat”.Citing a broader concern over delays in local elections in several states, Pilot told reporters in Tonk that the situation in Rajasthan reflected a “systematic attempt” to avoid democratic accountability at the grassroots level.“Across cities and villages, administrators are in place but they are unable to effectively handle people’s day-to-day issues. There is a widespread demand that elections be held at the earliest,” he said.The former deputy chief minister said that since the BJP came to power in the state, elections to student unions, municipal bodies and panchayat institutions have not been conducted.“Our party has been consistently demanding that elections be held at the earliest. Even after court directions and the April 15 deadline, elections have not been conducted. It is unclear what the Election Commission and the government are doing,” Pilot said.Alleging political motives behind the delay, he said, “It is widely believed that the BJP government does not want to hold elections because the results will not be in their favour. Out of this fear, they are repeatedly postponing polls on one pretext or another.”Pilot also targeted the Centre over the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), claiming that it had been “effectively shut down” in Rajasthan and weakened across the country.“In the villages I visited, MGNREGA work has almost come to a halt. We had warned earlier that renaming schemes was a cover to dilute them. When Congress was in power, lakhs of people benefited, but today the scheme is nearly defunct,” he said.He further alleged that the government was not allocating adequate funds for rural development and was focusing more on “management through advertisements” than actual governance.Questioning the state government’s employment claims, Pilot said, “In the first budget, there was a promise of four lakh jobs. Now two-and-a-half years have passed, how many people have actually been employed?”He asserted that the Congress would continue to mount pressure on the government to conduct elections and address governance issues, saying the current approach was not in the interest of the people.
