The State Election Commission made a significant announcement on Tuesday. It declared that elections will take place on February 5 for twelve zilla parishads and one hundred twenty-five panchayat samitis across Maharashtra. This decision covers areas where the fifty percent reservation limit for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes has not been exceeded.
Third Phase of Local Body Polls
This marks the third phase of elections for the state's local governing bodies. The commission already conducted polls for municipal councils and corporations in earlier phases. Voters will cast their ballots on February 5, and officials will count the votes on February 7.
Pending Elections Due to Quota Breaches
Elections for twenty zilla parishads and one hundred twelve panchayat samitis remain on hold. In these areas, the reservation quota for SCs, STs, and OBCs crossed the fifty percent cap. A senior SEC official clarified the situation.
The official stated, "We will decide the date for elections in the remaining local bodies after the next Supreme Court hearing." The Supreme Court expressed concern about local bodies that violated the quota limit. The court allowed polls to proceed but noted that results must face the outcome of ongoing legal proceedings.
Geographical Scope and Voter Participation
The twelve zilla parishads heading to the polls are spread across several regions. In the Konkan area, elections will occur in Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg. The sugar belt of Western Maharashtra includes Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Solapur. Marathwada region will see polls in Latur, Dharashiv, Chhatrapati Sambhajingar, and Parbhani.
This phase does not include zilla parishads in Vidarbha or North Maharashtra. Approximately two crore voters are expected to participate in this electoral exercise.
Supreme Court Deadline and Unopposed Wins
The Supreme Court directed the state to conclude all local body elections by February 15. Meanwhile, reports indicate that around seventy out of two thousand eight hundred sixty-nine posts in civic bodies might be elected unopposed. Mahayuti candidates could secure these positions without contest.
SEC officials addressed this development. They said, "We asked municipal commissioners to submit reports. We need to determine if opposition candidates withdrew due to pressure or inducement."
Campaign Rules and Voter List Issues
Some complaints emerged about candidates continuing door-to-door campaigning after the Tuesday evening deadline. SEC officials responded to these concerns.
An official explained, "The rules prohibit public campaigns, but door-to-door visits are allowed. Campaigners cannot use loudspeakers and must stay one hundred metres away from polling booths."
Officials also highlighted voter list discrepancies. They identified ten point three lakh duplicate voters in the state, with one point two lakh located in Mumbai alone.
Previous Election Phases
The State Election Commission has already overseen elections for two hundred forty-six municipal councils and forty-two nagar panchayats. These efforts are part of the broader process to complete local body polls across Maharashtra.
