The Rajasthan Assembly on Monday (March 10, 2026) passed a Bill to scrap the provision for disqualifying the candidates with more than two children from contesting the Panchayati Raj elections. The legal provision was introduced in the State in 1995 during the government led by former Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
The Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was passed in the House after an acrimonious debate, in which the Opposition Congress MLAs questioned the need for reversing the decision taken three decades ago. The Congress members also demanded to know when the panchayat elections, pending for more than a year, would be held.
The Bill, passed with a voice vote, amended Section 19 of the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, while eliminating the two-child norm which earlier barred the individuals from contesting the polls. The provision applied to both Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies.
Two-child norm for panchayat, local body elections scrapped in Rajasthan after three decades
Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar said the provision was made as a “population control measure” when there was a high fertility rate of 3.6 during 1991-94. “The fertility rate has dropped to 2.0, driven by family planning, social change, women’s literacy and health care. The restriction on contesting polls has become irrelevant now,” Mr. Dilawar said.
