The Maharashtra State Election Commission has announced that elections for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis will be held on February 7, 2026. In the Konkan division, the last elections to the Sindhudurg Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samitis were conducted in early 2017 as part of the state’s rural local body polls. According to the State Election Commission’s statistical report, the Sindhudurg district last went to the polls on February 21, 2017.
Sindhudurg voters and turnout in the 2017 Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls
The Sindhudurg Zilla Parishad had 50 seats and 100 seats in 8 Panchayat Samitis in 2017. As per the 2011 Census, Sindhudurg's population stood at 738447. Sindhudurg district has 100 seats spread across eight Panchayat Samitis, namely Vaibhavwadi, Kankavli, Devgad, Malwan, Kudal, Vengurla, Sawantwadi and Dodamarg.
The total number of registered voters for the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls stood at 559982. Of these, 380225 voters cast their ballots, taking the voter turnout to 67.90 percent.
Sindhudurg Zilla Parishad results in 2017: Congress took the lead
In the 2017 local body elections, Sindhudurg district had 50 Zilla Parishad seats. Congress emerged as the single largest party with 27 seats, followed by Shiv Sena, which won 16 seats. BJP won 6 seats and NCP won 1 seat. No seats were won by the BSP, CPI, CPI(M), MNS, parties registered with the State Election Commission or Independent candidates Sindhudurg Zilla Parishad. Congress won the elections.
Panchayat Samiti results in Sindhudurg: Congress emerged as the largest party
At the Panchayat Samiti level, Sindhudurg had a total of 100 seats spread across its talukas. Congress emerged as the largest party with 56 seats. Shiv Sena got 26 seats, while BJP got 16 seats. NCP earned 2 seats. Parties registered with the State Election Commission, Independent candidates, BSP, CPI, CPI(M) or MNS failed to secure any seat in Sindhudurg's Panchayat Samitis. Congress won the elections.
Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti polls 2026: Key details
As many as 731 Zilla Parishad seats and 1,462 Panchayat Samiti seats are up for grabs in the upcoming local body elections, with an estimated 2.09 crore eligible voters. Each voter will cast two votes, one for the Zilla Parishad and another for the Panchayat Samiti, through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
To ensure smooth conduct of the polls, around 25,482 polling stations have been set up across the state and will be managed by over 1.28 lakh personnel. The elections will be held using the electoral rolls finalised on July 1, 2025, with no provision for additions or deletions at this stage. At the same time, elections to the remaining 22 Zilla Parishads in Maharashtra continue to be on hold, awaiting a Supreme Court decision on reservations exceeding the 50 percent limit.
Polling is scheduled to take place on February 7, 2026, between 7.30am and 5.30pm. The counting of votes will be conducted on Monday, February 9, 2026, starting at 10.00am.
Also read: What happened in the Solapur Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samitis in the last elections in 2017?
