📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / ashokkumar.hamber
Politics
Rajasthan completes sarpanch reservation lottery for 14,403 gram panchayats, women get most seats
✍️ Amar Ujala · Jaipur
🗓 24 Sep 2026, 10:15 PM
👁 8
The lottery for reserving sarpanch and over 130,000 ward panch positions in 14,403 Rajasthan gram panchayats has concluded, with the highest share allotted to women. All sarpanch seats in four tribal‑dominant districts are reserved for ST candidates, and Barmer’s lottery was re‑run after objections.
The state election office announced that the reservation lottery for sarpanch posts and more than 130,000 ward panch positions across 14,403 gram panchayats in Rajasthan has been completed. The draw allocated the largest proportion of seats to women, reflecting the state's commitment to gender‑balanced local governance.
In four districts with a high tribal population, every sarpanch seat has been earmarked for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, ensuring representation for these communities at the grassroots level. The districts were identified based on census data indicating a majority tribal demographic.
Barmer district faced objections to its initial lottery results, prompting authorities to conduct a fresh draw to address the concerns. The re‑lottery was overseen by senior officials to maintain transparency and fairness.
The completed lottery paves the way for the upcoming elections to gram panchayats, where the reserved seats will be contested according to the new allocation. Election officials have urged political parties and candidates to respect the reservation outcomes and focus on voter outreach.
The reservation exercise is part of Rajasthan's broader effort to strengthen local self‑government and promote inclusive participation, especially for women and tribal groups, ahead of the scheduled rural elections later this year.
In four districts with a high tribal population, every sarpanch seat has been earmarked for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, ensuring representation for these communities at the grassroots level. The districts were identified based on census data indicating a majority tribal demographic.
Barmer district faced objections to its initial lottery results, prompting authorities to conduct a fresh draw to address the concerns. The re‑lottery was overseen by senior officials to maintain transparency and fairness.
The completed lottery paves the way for the upcoming elections to gram panchayats, where the reserved seats will be contested according to the new allocation. Election officials have urged political parties and candidates to respect the reservation outcomes and focus on voter outreach.
The reservation exercise is part of Rajasthan's broader effort to strengthen local self‑government and promote inclusive participation, especially for women and tribal groups, ahead of the scheduled rural elections later this year.