Himachal Pradesh panchayat elections 2026 announced: Check voting, result dates and other details
Himachal Pradesh will hold Panchayati Raj elections in three phases on May 26, 28 and 30 across 3,754 gram panchayats. Over 50 lakh voters are set to participate in the process.
The Himachal Pradesh State Election Commission has officially announced the schedule for the upcoming Panchayati Raj elections in the state. State Election Commissioner Anil Khachi released the detailed programme on Tuesday, setting the stage for a three-phase electoral exercise across rural areas. According to the schedule, voting will take place on May 26, May 28 and May 30 across 3,754 gram panchayats. With the announcement, the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into immediate effect in rural regions.
Over 50 lakh voters to exercise franchise
Providing details, Anil Khachi said that a total of 50,79,048 voters will participate in the elections. The process will see the selection of 21,654 ward members, 1,769 panchayat samiti members and 251 district council members.
Nomination and counting dates
The election process will begin with the filing of nominations on May 7, May 8 and May 11. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on May 12, followed by withdrawal of nominations on May 14 and May 15.
Polling will then be conducted in three phases on May 26, 28 and 30. Counting of votes for gram panchayat pradhan, up-pradhan and ward members will be carried out on the same day at respective panchayat headquarters after polling concludes. Meanwhile, counting for the panchayat samiti and district council members will be held on May 31.
Reservation for women candidates
Out of a total of 31,182 posts in the Panchayati Raj system, 15,656 seats have been reserved for women, reflecting a strong push towards inclusive participation. Elections will not be conducted in four panchayats of Kullu district, while the rest of the state will go to polls as scheduled. Officials have instructed district election authorities to ensure that the elections are conducted in a peaceful and transparent manner.
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