The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has scheduled elections for 12 Zilla Parishads (ZP) and 125 Panchayat Samitis (PS) on February 7, 2026. The last elections to the Solapur Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samitis in Pune Division were held in early 2017 as part of Maharashtra’s rural local body polls.
As per the State Election Commission’s statistical report, the elections in Solapur district last took place on February 21, 2017.
Solapur voters and turnout in the 2017 Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls
The Solapur Zilla Parishad had 68 seats and 136 Panchayat Samiti seats that were contested in the 2017 elections. As per the 2011 Census, Solapur’s population stood at 29,22,221.
The total number of registered voters for the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls stood at 21,44,393. Of these, 14,49,044 voters cast their ballots, taking the voter turnout to 67.57 percent.
Solapur Zilla Parishad results in 2017: NCP led the polls
In the 2017 local body elections, Solapur district, which had 68 Zilla Parishad seats. The NCP emerged as the single largest party with 23 seats, followed by BJP which won 14 seats. Congress secured 7 seats and Shiv Sena won 5 seats. 12 seats went to parties registered with the State Election Commission, and 7 seats were won by Independent candidates. No seats were won by the BSP, CPI, CPI(M) or MNS in the Solapur Zilla Parishad. NCP won the elections.
Panchayat Samiti results in Solapur: NCP emerged as the largest party
At the Panchayat Samiti level, Solapur had a total of 136 seats spread across its talukas. NCP emerged as the largest party with 44 seats. BJP won 33 seats, while the Congress secured 17 seats. The Shiv Sena won 9 seats, while 20 seats were won by parties registered with the State Election Commission. Independent candidates secured 13 seats across the district. No seats were won by the BSP, CPI, CPI(M) or MNS in Solapur’s Panchayat Samitis. At the taluka level, NCP registered its strongest performance in Madha with 14 seats and Malshiras with 14 seats, while the BJP’s highest tally came from Barshi, Malshiras and Pandharpur with 7 seats each.
Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls 2026: Key details
A total of 731 Zilla Parishad seats and 1,462 Panchayat Samiti seats are being contested in the upcoming local body elections, with around 2.09 crore eligible voters expected to take part. Each voter will cast two votes, one for the Zilla Parishad and one for the Panchayat Samiti, using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). To facilitate the process, about 25,482 polling stations have been set up across the state, manned by more than 1.28 lakh personnel. The electoral rolls finalised on July 1, 2025, will be used for these polls, with no scope for additions or deletions at this stage. Meanwhile, elections for the remaining 22 Zilla Parishads in Maharashtra remain on hold, pending a Supreme Court verdict on reservations that exceed the 50 percent cap.
The polling will take place on February 7, 2026, from 7:30am to 5:30pm. The votes will be counted on Monday, February 9, 2026, from 10:00am.
Also read: What happened in the Ratnagiri Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samitis in the last elections in 2017?
