The Maharashtra State Election Commission has sought 10 more days from the Supreme Court to complete the local body election process. The Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in the state will likely be postponed once again.
Meanwhile, a fresh petition has also been filed in the Supreme Court to hold all the Zilla Parishad elections simultaneously.
Both of the petitions will be heard on Monday before a bench led by Chief Justice Suryakant. The State Election Commission is asking for an extension till February 10 on administrative grounds.
The Supreme Court had set a deadline for all local body elections in the state to be held before January 31. After a dispute over providing OBCs 27 per cent of the reservation, the court had ordered that all local body elections be held within the 50 per cent reservation limit.
In the same order, it was said that elections be held only in those zila parishad and panchayat samitis that comply with the 50 per cent reservation limit.
The second phase of the Municipal Corporation election will be held on January 15. The commission had prepared to hold the 12 Zila Parishad and 125 Panchayat Samiti elections, which comply with the 50 per cent reservation limit under them, in the first week of February
While conducting the election, the Zilla parishads in the 12 districts of western Maharashtra, the commission failed to hold about 20 parishads out of the 32, to the 50 per cent limit.
Since the locations were all in Vidarbha and Marathwada, the commission decided that the election would not be held until the reservations issue was resolved.
If the court orders that elections be held in all of the zilla parishands, the commission will have more time to prepare. There is also reportedly a shortage of EVMs due to the Muncipal elections.
Sources say that the elections may be delayed until April-May as exams for class 10 and 12 will be held in the meantime.