Jaipur, April 9 -- Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday accused the BJP-led state government of pushing Rajasthan into a "constitutional crisis" by failing to hold Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections more than a year after their tenure expired, despite repeated court orders. In a post on X, he said the appointment of government administrators in their place is not merely an administrative lapse but a direct assault on democratic governance that deprives citizens of their right to elect representatives and undermines grassroots democracy. Citing constitutional provisions, Gehlot pointed out that Article 243E mandates a five-year tenure for panchayats and makes timely elections compulsory, while Article 243U imposes similar obligations for urban local bodies. He also referred to Article 243K, which establishes the state election commission as an independent constitutional authority responsible for conducting elections. "This is not a matter of government discretion, but a binding constitutional obligation," he asserted. The Congress leader accused the state government of delaying elections by citing reasons such as delimitation, administrative restructuring, and the proposed "One State, One Election" concept. He maintained that such justifications lack legal validity, referring to the Supreme Court's 2021 judgment in the Vikas Kishanrao Gawali case, which clearly held that these grounds cannot be used to postpone elections. Gehlot further said the Rajasthan High Court had issued repeated directions in February, March, and November 2025, but the state government failed to comply. He noted that while disposing of 439 petitions together, the High Court set April 15, 2026, as the final deadline for conducting the elections. The subsequent dismissal of a special leave petition by the Supreme Court of India, upholding the High Court's order, makes the judiciary's position unequivocally clear, he added. Warning of a "constitutional breakdown," Gehlot said that continued violation of Articles 243E, 243U, and 243K, coupled with the denial of voting rights for over a year and disregard for court directives, reflects a serious erosion of constitutional governance. He also invoked the spirit of the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments, which aim to strengthen decentralisation, local self-governance, and public participation, stating that these principles are being systematically undermined. Gehlot concluded by saying that the BJP government must understand that democracy is not merely about exercising power, but about accountability to the Constitution, warning that the people of Rajasthan will not remain silent over the curtailment of their rights. Commenting on the issue, BJP spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma said the party has always worked to strengthen democracy and the Constitution. He added that the government has removed the two-child norm for contesting elections and, in the coming time, all elections will be conducted simultaneously under the "one state, one election" concept, which will help save public exchequer funds....