The Himachal Pradesh High Court on January 9, 2026, dismissed the state government's plea to delay Panchayati Raj body elections by six months. The court ordered that elections for Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and urban local bodies must be conducted before April 30, 2026. A Division Bench of Justice Vivek Thakur and Justice Romesh Verma also instructed the State Election Commission (SEC) and the government to complete all election processes by February 28. The state government sought postponement citing extensive damage to public and private property, ongoing Disaster Act enforcement, and unfavorable conditions on the ground. However, after three days of hearing, the court ruled that elections should proceed as planned. Advocate Nand Lal, representing the petitioner, said the deadline considered board exams in March, making polling booth setup impractical then, hence elections must finish before April ends. The State Election Commission warned that delaying elections would complicate matters further because census duties start in May and monsoon months July and August would be unsuitable for elections. The five-year term of the PRI ends on January 31, 2026, and the tenure of 50 urban local bodies expires on January 18. Himachal Pradesh has 3,577 Gram Panchayats, 90 Panchayat Samitis, 11 Zila Parishads, and 71 Urban Local Bodies. Opposition parties criticized the proposed poll postponement, accusing the government of avoiding elections.