Bhubaneswar, February 24 The Odisha government stated on Tuesday that the next three-tier panchayat elections in the state will be held as scheduled in February 2027.
This was stated by Minister of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Rabi Narayan Naik, in response to a question by BJD member Ganeswar Behera in the Assembly.
"There has been no decision at the government level to hold panchayat elections ahead of the scheduled date in February 2027," the minister said.
Naik stated that the panchayat elections will be held according to the stipulated schedule. He also said that no guidelines have been prepared yet for the reconstitution of blocks and gram panchayats.
The minister's statement in the House has put an end to speculation about early rural elections in the state, following a statement by Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal. While addressing a party workers meeting last month, Samal had urged the party members to be prepared for early panchayat elections in the state this time.
"There is a possibility of holding the rural elections two to three months ahead of the scheduled time," the BJP state president had stated. He had cited the 2027 census as a possible reason for advancing the timeline of panchayat elections.
However, State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi later stated that the elections will only be held after the existing rural bodies complete their five-year term.
The last rural elections were held in the state in five phases, starting from February 16, 2022, and the next elections are due in 2027.