Campaigning has ended for the final phase of panchayat elections in Rajasthan.
Voting will take place on Saturday, November 14.
The vote covers over 3,700 panchayats in 25 districts. Panchayats are village-level local bodies that run rural affairs.
But the election is being fought against a backdrop of severe drought and a drinking water crisis in many parts of the state.
Key points
- Voting for over 3,700 panchayats in 25 districts is on November 14.
- Results will be announced on November 20.
- 80 tehsils in 14 districts have been declared drought-affected.
- The ruling BJP and the Congress are trading sharp charges over water management.
How bad is the drought in Rajasthan?
In 2026, Rajasthan faced its worst drought in the last 10 years.
A weak monsoon has damaged Kharif crops, which are the crops sown in the rainy season.
The state received average rainfall of about 350 mm this monsoon. That is around 17.4% less than normal.
Pali received 58% less rain than normal. Jaisalmer and Jalore got over 50% less.
Of the state's 693 dams, over 200 are empty. In the Jodhpur division, just 16% water remains in reservoirs.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
What is the government doing to help?
The state government has declared 80 tehsils in 14 districts as drought-affected.
Of these, 69 are categorised as severely affected.
According to the Disaster Management and Relief Department, this notification will stay in effect for six months.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has approved a six-month suspension of loan recovery in affected areas.
He has also authorised fodder depots, water tankers, and emergency works up to Rs 1 crore.
How are the political parties responding?
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of the Congress says the state government was slow to grasp the drought's severity.
He claims famine-like conditions exist in parts of the state.
Gehlot also said Jodhpur has been getting about 2.5 mcft less water every day for two and a half years.
An mcft is one million cubic feet.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has blamed the water crisis on delays and mismanagement during the previous Congress government.
Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena dismissed the opposition's allegations as electoral politics.
Gehlot has also criticised an FIR filed against villagers demanding water in Dhundhara village in Jodhpur.
He called it an attempt to suppress their voice.
The government has not yet responded to this specific charge in the sources available.
Explainer
What happened before
- Rajasthan faced its worst drought in the last 10 years.
- A weak monsoon brought average rainfall of about 350 mm, which is 17.4% below normal.
- Campaigning for the final phase of panchayat elections has now ended.
Why it matters
Many rural families face shortages of drinking water and fodder for cattle, and farmers have lost Kharif crops.
What to watch next
- Voting for the final phase is on Saturday, November 14, and results will be announced on November 20.
- The drought notification will remain in effect for the next six months.
