Now, it is almost official that the three-tier panchayat polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held after the crucial 2027 assembly polls.
After much delay, the Yogi Adityanath government approved a proposal on Monday to establish an OBC Commission to determine OBC reservations for panchayat elections. The present panchayat’s term is scheduled to end later this month.
The decision on the panchayat polls was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. As per the decisions reached during the meeting, the OBC Commission will consist of five members and a retired High Court judge appointed as its chairperson. It will have a six-month tenure to determine the reservation of the OBCs in the panchayat.
The commission’s report could be released by November 2026, therefore, it is clear that Panchayat elections will be held only after the Assembly elections in 2027.
The High Court ordered the formation of the OBC Commission on February 4, 2025, but the decision of the state government came now after much delay.
According to officials, the OBC Commission will determine the basis for reserving Panchayat seats for OBC candidates (male or female) and which seats will remain general.
The Supreme Court previously stated that before implementing OBC reservation in local bodies (like Gram Panchayat, District Panchayat), states must complete the ‘Triple Test’ process.
This commission was formed to meet this triple test. If the government had implemented reservation directly without the commission’s report, the matter could have been entangled in court and the Panchayat elections could have been halted. With the commission’s formation, elections can now be conducted in a legally secure manner.
Officials said The commission will have three main functions: first, it will examine the population of backward castes in local bodies (at the block and panchayat levels) and their need for political representation. A report will be prepared based on this.
Second, the Commission will ensure that the total reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes together does not exceed 50%.
Third, based on the Commission’s recommendations, the number of reserved seats in each local body will be decided according to the proportion of OBC population.
The last Panchayat elections in UP were held in 2021.
The five-year term of the Panchayats ends on May 25-26, 2026. According to constitutional rules, new elections should have been completed before the current term ends. This means that the Panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh were scheduled to be held before or in May 2026..