The story of Panchayat continues in the quiet village of Phulera in Uttar Pradesh, but this time, things are heating up. A big election is coming up — Manju Devi (played by Neena Gupta) and Kranti Devi (Sunita Rajwar) are fighting for the position of sarpanch (village head). The battle between them feels as serious as a war.
Manju Devi’s election symbol is a bottle gourd, and Kranti Devi’s is a cooker — and both teams are fighting hard. Manju gets support from her husband and former sarpanch Brij Bhushan (Raghubir Yadav), daughter Rinku (Sanvikaa), and loyal friends Vikas (Chandan Roy) and Prahlad (Faisal Malik). On the other side, Kranti’s husband Bhushan (Durgesh Kumar), along with his helpers Binod and Madhav, have the backing of MLA Chandrakishore (Pankaj Jha), who has a personal rivalry with Brij Bhushan.
Although the election is the main focus, the series also follows Abhishek (Jitendra Kumar), the village secretary. He wonders if it’s time to finally leave Phulera. Abhishek has been trying for years to pass an important exam, but he’s now emotionally attached to the village. He’s lost his neutrality as a government worker, fallen for Rinku, and built strong friendships with Vikas and Prahlad.
The show, which started by showing Abhishek’s struggles in rural life, now focuses more on local politics. The fourth season continues the usual pattern: a mix of slow progress, small setbacks, and plenty of humor. While things in Phulera seem to be changing, much remains the same — a fact that the show uses both for comedy and storytelling.
Panchayat has become hugely popular and even inspired remakes in other languages. The latest season stretches the election drama with events like an income tax raid and visits from powerful politicians, including a Member of Parliament (played by Swanand Kirkire). Sometimes it feels like the candidates are running for national office, not just village leadership.
The tried-and-true parts of the show still work best. Writer Chandan Kumar and director Deepak Kumar Mishra keep things engaging with funny dialogues and quirky scenes whenever the political drama goes overboard.
The core cast — Abhishek, Manju Devi, Brij Bhushan, Vikas, and Prahlad — continues to win hearts. Vikas and Prahlad, especially, are scene-stealers. Chandan Roy and Faisal Malik are so natural in their roles that fans would love to see them in their own spin-off.
Durgesh Kumar (as Bhushan) and Pankaj Jha (as Chandrakishore) are also hilarious and take the show in a more chaotic direction. Oddly enough, Bhushan still hasn’t noticed the romance between Abhishek and Rinku, which remains the least exciting part of the story.
As always, Abhishek wonders whether the village really needs him or if he should move on. But Panchayat isn’t ready to answer that yet — and fans will likely get to enjoy a few more seasons before that decision is made.
