The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992, effective from April 24, 1993, ushered in a transformative era of decentralised governance in India. The Manipur Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, aligned with this amendment, established a two-tier Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) system in Manipur’s valley districts (Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Kakching, Jiribam, and Bishnupur), comprising Gram Panchayats and Zilla Parishads.
Panchayati Raj Institutions aim to foster participatory governance, empowering marginalised groups (rural poor, women, and Scheduled Castes/Tribes) through the devolution of powers, functions, and finances, addressing local needs such as infrastructure, poverty alleviation, and social equity.
The last PRI elections in Manipur were held in 2017, with terms expiring in 2022. No elections have been conducted since, and the ongoing ethnic issue, along with the President’s Rule (extended to February 13, 2026), has made it unlikely for elections to occur soon. The Governor, acting under central government directives, prioritises peace restoration over local elections.
This centralisation may further delay PRI elections, as resources are diverted to security and relief efforts.
Suspension of Democratic Polls
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment (1992) institutionalised Panchayati Raj in India, mandating regular elections every five years (Article 243E). The Manipur state government is responsible for conducting timely elections under the supervision of the State Election Commission.
According to Section 20 of the Act, the tenure of Gram Panchayats is limited to five years, without the possibility of extension. However, a temporary administrative committee is appointed to manage panchayat affairs until elections are held. The legality of prolonged use of such committees has become central to the present controversy.
The last PRI elections were in 2017, the five-year term ended in 2022, and any extensions would have lapsed by now. Repeated extensions beyond six months are not typically permitted under the Act, pushing the state toward dissolution and administrative arrangements.
In Manipur, the conduct of Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) elections has been notably uneven. While four general elections were successfully held in the state’s valley region in 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2012, these were confined to only four districts (Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, and Bishnupur).
On October 7, 2017, Manipur conducted its fifth general Panchayat elections, held across the six valley districts (Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Kakching, and Jiribam). Although the official term of the fifth Panchayat concluded in October 2022, fresh Panchayati Raj elections have not been held even by mid-2025, resulting in a prolonged governance vacuum at the grassroots level.
Legal Dimensions of Electoral Suspension
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment (1992), enshrined in Part IX (Articles 243 to 243-O), mandates the establishment and regular elections for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Key non-electoral provisions include Article 243E, which fixes a five-year term for PRIs and requires elections before its expiry or within six months of dissolution, barring exceptional circumstances.
During such delays, state governments are empowered to manage transitions via term extensions or administrator appointments. Article 243F permits state governments to dissolve PRIs for non-performance or misuse of powers, with provisions for an interim ‘administrative committee’ (a stop-gap arrangement that ensures PRI functionality but is not democratically elected, which grants the Deputy Commissioner the authority to avert a governance vacuum).
The Manipur Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, operationalises these mandates. Section 46 allows for the dissolution of a Gram Panchayat or Zilla Parishad for failure of duties, power abuse, or extraordinary circumstances (e.g., administrative breakdown or violence).
Section 47 also permits a limited extension of the term under specific, “exceptional circumstances” or “extraordinary circumstances” (because of lawlessness) where elections were not held as per the constitutional mandate, or elections are delayed. This extension is typically not more than six months.
Government Justifications Vs Dissenting Views
The Government of India and the Manipur state government have consistently cited law and order breakdown (ethnic conflict) as the principal reason for delaying elections. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (2004) noted the state’s incomplete institutional framework; mandatory prerequisites like constituency delimitation and reservation roster finalisation remain unfinished, hindering electoral notifications.
These technical issues, alongside security concerns from ongoing ethnic unrest, have delayed the election. However, the state government did not act decisively, leading to continued delays. However, in July 2025, the Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj reported in the Lok Sabha that the elections, originally due in June 2023, could not be held because of “disturbed conditions” across the state.
The ongoing ethnic conflict since May 2023 has produced severe instability, with violence, displacement, and curfews disrupting civic life. Conducting polls under such conditions was deemed impractical.
According to Imphal Times (2025), the absence of elected representatives since October 2022 has produced a governance vacuum. Many rural areas have seen population shifts, complicating the preparation of electoral rolls and voter participation, which are critical for PRI elections under Section 48.
Local commentaries also suggest that the imposition of President’s Rule in February 2025 deprioritised local body elections. The ongoing ethnic issue and President’s Rule in the state, the Governor, acting under central government directives, prioritises peace restoration over local elections.
This centralisation may further delay PRI elections, as resources are diverted to security and relief efforts.
Opposition parties in the state, particularly the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), criticised the delay as unconstitutional and undemocratic.
As per the press briefing in the Congress Bhavan, Imphal on August 30, 2025, Ningombam Bupenda Meitei criticise the BJP-led state government for delaying Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) elections, attributing it to negligence and political motives rather than the ethnic conflict since May 2023.
MPCC President K. Meghachandra (MLA) also accuses the government of undermining grassroots democracy by allowing unelected bodies to control resources, bypassing democratic accountability.
A recent open discussion (February 13, 2025), titled “Save Panchayat Save Democracy,” organised by the “Adhoc Committee of the Panchayati Raj Institute” at the Manipur Press Club, brought to the forefront the profound consequences of the state government’s prolonged failure to conduct panchayat elections.
As articulated by Kshetri Tama Devi, a former Up-Adakshya of Imphal East Zilla Parishad, “the state government hasn’t taken any steps to conduct the election, first citing COVID-19 and then the ongoing conflict as reasons. However, MP elections were successfully conducted last year in the state”.
She also argued that the current administrative committees cannot effectively replace elected bodies in understanding and addressing local needs. The Adhoc Committee has pursued both legal and protest channels to push for elections, including filing a case with the Manipur High Court.
Judicial interventions from the High Court’s ruling affirm that administrative committees are no substitutes, stressing elected representation for legitimate governance. It struck down the state’s order that extended the tenure of Panchayat bodies, declaring it unconstitutional.
The court directed the state government to conduct PRIs elections within six months. This interpretation reinforced Article 243E’s constitutional requirement of fixed tenure.
Implications of Delayed Elections
Democratically, the postponement diminishes public participation and accountability. PRIs are designed to empower rural communities, allowing direct involvement in local issues like education, health, and infrastructure. The delay in Manipur’s PRI elections has far-reaching implications, undermining the foundational principles of democracy and effective governance.
At its core, it violates Article 243E, which mandates five-year terms and timely elections, creating a vacuum where unelected administrators wield power, eroding representative democracy. This has led to “confusion, absurdity, and anomaly” in local administration, as dual bodies (expired elected members and appointed committees) compete for authority, disrupting grassroots decision-making.
Without elections, citizens lose their voice, fostering disillusionment and reducing trust in institutions. In conflict-ridden Manipur, this exacerbates ethnic divides, as unelected bodies may favor dominant groups, deepening suspicions between valley and hill regions.
Rural development schemes, funded by central grants, remain unutilised without “duly constituted” bodies, leading to financial losses in crores.
Politically, delays reflect manipulation, often due to disputes over reservations or delimitation, allowing incumbents to extend influence without mandates. Nationally, over 60% of urban local elections are delayed, indicating a systemic issue that erodes federalism and public trust as reported in the India forum.
While President’s Rule does not directly halt PRI elections but prioritisation of security over elections has created administrative stagnation, where PRIs face delays. This centralisation contradicts the 73rd Amendment’s decentralising intent, shifting power to state or central authorities and reducing local autonomy.
In long-term, this risks authoritarian tendencies, as unelected rule bypasses accountability, potentially leading to corruption and inefficiency.
Administrative committees lack the mandate and accountability of elected panchayats, resulting in poor implementation of welfare schemes and other central transfers. Local media argue that developmental paralysis is most visible in rural areas where grassroots planning has stalled.
On socio-economic development, in diverse Manipur, delays hinder inclusive governance, marginalising populations and women (with 33% reservations in PRIs). It perpetuates inequality, as development favors urban or stable areas, widening rural-urban gaps.
Without elected PRIs, these functions are managed by appointed administrators, which can lead to a lack of direct responsibility to the community, potentially leading to mismanagement or neglect of local needs, non-prioritising of grassroots input, weakening democratic governance, and bureaucrats usually lack the local knowledge or motivation of elected representatives, slowing down various policy implementations.
Prolonged absence of elected Panchayati Raj Institutions undermines democratic norms, stagnates development programs, and erodes public trust, particularly in Manipur’s valley districts.
The prolonged delay in Manipur’s PRI elections, last held in 2017, places democracy on hold and starkly reflects the crisis of grassroots elections delayed and denied. It undermines the democratic ethos enshrined in the 73rd Constitutional Amendment.
Ethnic violence, President’s Rule extended to February 2026, and administrative centralisation prioritising security over elections have created a governance vacuum, stalling rural development and eroding public trust.
The reliance on unelected administrators violates Article 243E, weakening participatory democracy and marginalising vulnerable communities. Judicial interventions, like the Manipur High Court’s 2024 ruling, highlight the urgency of restoring elected PRIs. Timely elections are critical to reinvigorating grassroots governance, ensuring accountability, and fostering inclusive socio-economic development in Manipur’s valley districts.
Views expressed are that of the author and do not reflect EastMojo’s stance on this or any other issue. The author is a Independent Researcher.
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