E-Paper
Polling for Maharashtra local bodies to begin on December 2. Details here
In the first phase of the Maharashtra local body polls, elections will be held for 246 municipal councils governing small cities and 42 Nagar Panchayats.
The State Election Commissioner, Dinesh Waghmare, announced on Tuesday that the local body elections in Maharashtra will be conducted in a phased manner, with the polling for the first phase set for December 2.
In the first phase, elections will be held for 246 municipal councils governing small cities and 42 Nagar Panchayats. The results for the first phase will be declared on December 3.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Waghmare did not announce the election schedule for the 29 municipal corporations, including the much-awaited election for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). He also did not reveal the schedule for polls for the 32 zilla parishads and 336 panchayat samitis, where polls are due.
"Voting will be held to elect 6,859 members and 288 presidents in these local self-government bodies. The number of eligible voters in these elections is 1.7 crore, Waghmare said, adding that there will be 13,355 polling centres to conduct these polls.
According to the announcement, the polling will be held using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The last day to file nominations is set for November 17, and scrutiny will be conducted on November 18. The deadline to withdraw nominations will be November 21.
Election symbols and the list of candidates will be published on November 26.
"The cut-off date of the electoral rolls is July 1, 2025. We have asked for the voter roll till October 15 from the ECI, and if we get the list, we will consider extending the cut-off date," the State Election Commissioner said.
The Panchayati Raj system in Maharashtra is a three-tier system of rural local governance consisting of the Gram Panchayat at the village level, the Panchayat Samiti at the block level, and the Zilla Parishad at the district level.
A nagar parishad or municipal council administers smaller urban areas. It is responsible for local governance and urban development. A nagar panchayat is a form of urban local governance for areas transitioning from rural to urban, typically with a population between 12,000 and 40,000.
