Maharashtra is set to witness the first phase of the highly anticipated local body elections on Tuesday, with voting scheduled across 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats. Nearly one crore voters are set to cast their ballots in this opening round of the multi-tier rural and urban elections, mandated by the Supreme Court to conclude by January 31. As per details, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used across districts and counting will be held on December 3.
High-stakes contest between Mahayuti and MVA
The December 2 polls will primarily see a battle between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti alliance and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Voters will decide the outcome for 6,705 member seats and 264 municipal council presidents. The elections carry greater political significance as they come a year after the assembly polls, which saw the Mahayuti sweep to a decisive victory.
Elections postponed in 24 local bodies
Although the first phase is set to take place on Tuesday, elections to 24 local bodies originally scheduled for December 2 have been pushed to December 20. This delay comes in the wake of judicial appeals challenging decisions taken by Returning Officers during scrutiny of nomination forms. The State Election Commission announced the postponement citing irregularities concerning withdrawal timelines and symbol allocation.
SEC flags irregularities in nomination process
According to the State Election Commission (SEC), many appeal verdicts from District Courts were issued after November 22, leaving candidates without the mandated three-day window to withdraw nominations, as required under Rule 17(1)(b) of the Maharashtra Municipalities Election Rules, 1966. In such cases, the subsequent allocation of symbols on or after November 26 was deemed invalid. The poll panel has therefore suspended elections only for the affected seats or posts where court verdicts were delivered on or after November 23.
Campaigning ends, strict media restrictions in place
Campaigning formally concluded at 10 pm on Monday and the SEC has prohibited rallies, marches, loudspeakers and all forms of public canvassing on voting day. Citing the Media Regulation and Advertisement Certification Order, 2025, the commission reiterated that print, electronic and social media outlets must not carry any election-related advertisements on December 2. Apart from the 24 postponed local bodies, polling will also not be held for 154 seats across 76 other bodies.
Momentum test for Mahayuti after 2024 Assembly sweep
The elections, announced on November 4 for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats, are seen as a major barometer of public sentiment following Mahayuti's landslide in the 2024 assembly elections. Political observers say the results will reveal whether the ruling alliance's momentum reaches grassroots governance or if the Opposition's renewed efforts can reclaim space.
Political blame game intensifies
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sharply criticised the SEC's decision to postpone certain local body elections. Calling the move "wrong" and "unfair", Fadnavis argued that cancelling polls due to ongoing petitions was an "unjust action" against candidates who completed the nomination process in good faith. While he acknowledged the independence of the poll commission, he maintained that "the postponement of the elections is completely wrong."
Top leaders of Mahayuti, including Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, held extensive campaign rallies. Meanwhile, the Opposition focused on strengthening local leadership and claimed an early edge in some pockets. The BJP secured 100 councillor seats and three municipal president posts unopposed.
New verification system and digital tools introduced
For these elections, the SEC has introduced a verification mechanism marking suspected duplicate voters with double stars in the voter lists. Polling stations will enforce strict identity checks. A mobile application has also been launched to help citizens access information about candidates and their affidavits. These local body elections are being held under a Supreme Court directive to complete all pending civic polls by January 31. Poll schedules for 29 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, along with 32 Zilla Parishads and 336 panchayat samitis, are still awaited.
ALSO READ
