The Rajasthan government is planning to make changes to the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Act and the Rajasthan Municipalities Act to remove a rule that stops people with more than two children from contesting local body elections.

Right now, anyone who has a third child after November 27, 1995, is not allowed to contest elections for positions like panch, sarpanch, up-sarpanch, panchayat  samiti member, zila parishad member, pradhan, zila pramukh, councillor, chairperson, or mayor. This rule was added to control population growth, but it has also kept many political leaders from contesting elections.

According to officials, the government has already prepared the drafts of the ordinance and sent them to the law department for review. Once the law department approves it, the proposal will be presented before the state Cabinet for final approval. After the Cabinet gives its nod, the ordinance will officially amend the Acts and remove the two-child restriction.

The clause that causes disqualification is found in Section 24 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act and in the relevant sections of the Panchayati Raj Act. If the government removes this clause, many leaders from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress will benefit, as they will now be able to contest upcoming elections without any restrictions related to the number of children.

Recently, Urban Development and Housing Minister Jhabar Singh Kharra said that elected representatives should not face discrimination because of the two-child rule. He emphasized that such personal matters should not affect a person’s right to participate in democracy.

The proposed change is being seen as a major step that could impact local governance and future elections across Rajasthan. Once approved, the amendment will allow more people to take part in the political process, giving citizens a wider choice of candidates in local elections.