Ahead of the local body elections, the Rajasthan Cabinet on Wednesday (February 25, 2026) approved the removal of legal provisions prohibiting persons with more than two children from contesting the Panchayati Raj and urban local body elections. The restriction has been in place in the State for nearly 30 years.
Also Read | Telangana Assembly passes Bill abolishing two-child norm for local body polls
Two Amendment Bills for the purpose will be introduced in the ongoing Budget session of the Rajasthan Assembly, the State’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said here after the Cabinet meeting. The move reverses a provision introduced in 1995 during the government led by former Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
“The two-child norm was originally introduced as a population control measure. It has lost its relevance now, as the fertility rate has declined to 2, against 3.6 during 1991-94,” Mr. Patel said. The provision had become “outdated” following a considerable change witnessed in socio-political sphere over the years, he added.
Candidates with more than two children will now be eligible to contest panchayat and municipal elections in the State. The Cabinet approved bringing the Bills for amending Section 19 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, and Section 24 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 2009.
