The Maharashtra State Election Commission has reportedly announced the schedule for 12 district councils (Zilla Parishads) and 125 Panchayat Samitis. According to reports, these local body elections will start on Friday, 16 January, the same day that the results of the municipal corporation elections are declared.
The polls will cover Zilla Parishads in 12 districts and their corresponding 125 Panchayat Samitis, with arrangements being made for around 25,482 polling stations. The elections will be held in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Dharashiv, Latur, and Parbhani districts.
The schedule was announced a day after the Supreme Court extended the January 31 timeline for completing the poll process for local body elections by two weeks, and two days before the 29 civic bodies go to polls across Maharashtra. Alongside these polls, elections will be conducted for 125 panchayat samitis, for which 1,462 members will be elected. Of these panchayat samiti seats, 431 will be reserved for women, 166 for Scheduled Castes, 38 for Scheduled Tribes and 342 for the Other Backward Classes category, said SEC Commissioner Waghmare.
Here is everything you need to know about the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls in Maharashtra:
Which districts will hold Zilla Parishad elections?
District councils from Konkan, Marathwada, and western Maharashtra are included. Elections will be held for the Zilla Parishads of Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv, and Latur.
Dates to remember:
- Acceptance of nomination papers: 16 January (Friday) to 21 January (Wednesday)
- Scrutiny of nomination papers: 22 January (Thursday)
- Last date for withdrawal of candidature: 27 January (Tuesday) before 3:00 pm
- Publication of final list and allotment of symbols: 27 January (Tuesday) after 3:30 pm
- Polling date: 5 February (Thursday), 7:30 am to 5:30 pm
- Counting of votes: 7 February (Saturday) from 10:00 am onwards
How many Panchayat Samitis will go to the polls in which districts?
- Raigad: 15
- Pune: 13
- Kolhapur: 12
- Satara: 11
- Solapur: 11
- Sangli: 10
- Latur: 10
- Ratnagiri: 9
- Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: 9
- Parbhani: 9
- Sindhudurg: 8
- Dharashiv: 8
(Data courtesy: Lokmat)
