ECI announces Maharashtra MLC polls: Nagpur bye-election, 16 biennial seats scheduled for June 18
New Delhi, May 18
The Election Commission of India on Monday announced the schedule for crucial Legislative Council elections in Maharashtra. This includes a bye-election for the Nagpur Local Authorities' Constituency and biennial elections for 16 other seats across the state.
Polling for all 17 seats will take place on June 18, with the counting of votes slated for June 22. With this announcement, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in the concerned constituencies.
The bye-election for the Nagpur Local Authorities' Constituency was necessitated after a casual vacancy was created by Chandrashekhar Krishnaraoji Bawankule.
Bawankule vacated the MLC seat on November 23, 2024, following his election to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The retirement date for this specific seat is January 1, 2028.
Separately, the ECI announced biennial elections to fill 16 vacant seats from various Local Authorities' Constituencies. While the terms of the sitting members had already expired, the elections faced delays due to strict constitutional criteria regarding local governance representation.
According to ECI guidelines, elections can only be conducted if at least 75% of local bodies in a constituency are actively functioning, and at least 75% of electors are in position. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Maharashtra recently confirmed that these criteria have finally been fulfilled across all 16 constituencies, clearing the decks for the democratic process to resume.
The 16 constituencies where biennial elections will be conducted include Solapur, Ahmednagar, Thane, Jalgaon, Sangli-cum-Satara, Nanded, Yavatmal, Pune, Bhandara-cum-Gondia, Raigad-cum-Ratnagiri-cum-Sindhudurg, Nashik, Wardha-cum-Chandrapur-cum-Gadchiroli, Amravati, Osmanabad-cum-Latur-cum-Beed, Parbhani-cum-Hingoli, and Aurangabad-cum-Jalna, the press note stated.
As per the election schedule, the notification for both the biennial election and the by-election will be issued on May 25, while the last date for filing nominations is June 1. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on June 2, and candidates can withdraw their nominations till June 4. Polling will be held on June 18 between 8 am and 4 pm, while counting of votes will take place on June 22. The election process will be completed by June 25.
The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect in the concerned constituencies, the ECI said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Will be interesting to see how the political dynamics play out in Nagpur especially after Bawankule's move to the assembly. The MLC elections often set the tone for larger electoral battles. Hope the process is smooth and transparent.
As someone who follows Indian politics from abroad, it's fascinating how the MLC elections work with local body representation. The 75% criteria seems like a smart way to ensure genuine local governance participation.
While it's good that elections are happening, I have to point out that the delay due to local body criteria shows a systemic issue. How many seats were vacant during this period? That's months of no representation for those constituencies. Need faster resolution next time.
The timing is interesting - polling on June 18 and counting on June 22. That's quick turnaround for counting. Hope the ECI has proper security and infrastructure in place, especially for rural areas in these 16 constituencies.
Maharashtra politics never sleeps! From Nagpur to Pune to Thane, these 17 seats will see intense contest. The Model Code of Conduct is good but hope it's enforced strictly. Looking forward to June 22 results.
The list of 16 constituencies covers all major regions
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