Elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis in Maharashtra will be held on February 5, with counting of votes scheduled for February 7, the State Election Commission announced on Tuesday.
The poll schedule was declared a day after the Supreme Court of India extended the January 31 deadline for completing the local body election process by two weeks. With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force across the concerned districts.
Addressing a press conference, State Election Commission of Maharashtra Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said polling would be conducted in 12 districts, covering their respective Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis, through around 25,482 polling stations. Voting will take place from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm on February 5.
The nomination process will begin on January 16, with papers being accepted till January 18. Scrutiny of nominations will be conducted on January 19, while January 21 has been fixed as the last date for withdrawal. Election symbols will be allotted on January 22, and the final list of candidates will be published the same day.
Waghmare said the voter list prepared by the Election Commission of India as on July 1, 2025, will be used for the elections. As per rules, voter lists have already been bifurcated for Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti constituencies, and no additions or deletions can be made at this stage.
Electronic Voting Machines, including ballot units and control units, will be deployed extensively to ensure the smooth conduct of polling. The commission has also made special arrangements at polling stations for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and voters with infants, including ramps, wheelchairs, drinking water and toilet facilities.
In areas with a high concentration of women voters, all-women polling stations will be set up wherever feasible, the commissioner said. Thousands of election officers and staff have been appointed as part of the administrative arrangements.
The State Election Commission has also specified expenditure limits for candidates contesting Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, based on the size of the electoral divisions. Waghmare warned that strict action would be taken against any violation of the Model Code of Conduct and said campaigning would end 48 hours before polling begins.
