NewKerala.com

Maharashtra SEC to Announce Poll Schedule for 12 Zilla Parishads, 125 Panchayat Samitis

The Maharashtra State Election Commission will announce the schedule for elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis, with polling likely on February 5. This follows a Supreme Court order extending the deadline for these polls to February 15. The elections are being held first for bodies where the 50% reservation limit has not been breached, pending a resolution on OBC quotas. These local body polls are seen as crucial indicators of political momentum ahead of larger state contests.

Key Points: Maharashtra Local Body Polls Schedule for 12 Zilla Parishads

  • Poll schedule announcement today
  • Voting likely on February 5
  • Supreme Court extended deadline to Feb 15
  • Elections pending for 32 Zilla Parishads
2 min read

SEC to announce Maha poll schedule today for 12 zilla parishads, 125 panchayat samitis; polling likely on Feb 5

SEC to announce election schedule for 12 Zilla Parishads & 125 Panchayat Samitis, with polling likely on Feb 5. SC extends deadline.

"These elections are often called 'Mini Assemblies' because they reflect the ground-level pulse"

Mumbai, Jan 13

Even as the fervour for Municipal Corporation elections sweeps the state, the Maharashtra State Election Commission will hold a press conference at. 4 pm on Tuesday to announce the schedule for elections to the 12 zilla parishads and 125 panchayat samitis.

As the state Board examinations for grade 12 are starting from February 10, the voting for these local bodies is expected to take place on February 5.

The SEC's move comes after the Supreme Court on Monday admitted the SEC's plea seeking extension for holding these elections beyond the January 31 deadline set by the apex court.

The SEC had sought extension up to February 10 but the SC gave it up to February 15 asking the former to complete the polls to 12 zilla parishads and 125 panchayat samitis before that.

While the state is currently in the thick of municipal election campaigning - with only voting and counting remaining - the SEC has finalised its preparations for Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis.

In the first phase, the Commission plans to hold elections for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 panchayat samitis where the 50 per cent reservation limit has not been breached. Currently, elections for 32 Zilla Parishads and 336 Panchayat Samitis remain pending across Maharashtra.

Out of these, 20 Zilla Parishads and 211 Panchayat Samitis exceed the 50 per cent reservation cap and their elections will take place depending on the SC order.

Consequently, the SEC has prioritised the 12 districts and 125 panchayat samitis that fall within the permissible legal reservation limits.

The revenue division wise districts where the elections will take place are Pune Division: Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, and Kolhapur, Konkan Division: Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Division: Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv, and Latur.

The primary reason for the delay has been the legal battle over Other Backward Classes (OBC) quotas. In 2021, the top court struck down the 27 per cent OBC reservation in local bodies because it pushed the total reservation beyond the 50 per cent ceiling set by the Indra Sawhney judgment.

The court mandated a "triple test" (setting up a commission, collecting empirical data, and ensuring reservations don't exceed 50 per cent total) before the quota could be restored.

This led to a long-drawn process of data collection and legal challenges.

These elections are often called "Mini Assemblies" because they reflect the ground-level pulse of rural and semi-urban voters.

For the major alliances in Maharashtra, these results are crucial for momentum heading into state-level contests.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Scheduling it for Feb 5th before board exams is a sensible move. As a parent in Pune, I appreciate that. The last thing students need is political noise during their crucial study time.
V
Vikram M
The OBC quota issue has delayed this for too long. While reservation is important, the Supreme Court's 'triple test' is necessary to ensure the 50% cap is respected. The process must be fair and legal.
A
Ananya R
Zilla Parishads are the backbone of rural development. Hope the elected representatives actually work on the ground. We've seen too many promises vanish after the votes are counted.
D
David E
Interesting to see this called "Mini Assemblies". It's a good point – local elections often predict the mood for bigger state polls. The results here will set the tone for Maharashtra politics this year.
K
Karthik V
With municipal elections also happening, the political atmosphere is going to be very charged. I just hope the campaigning remains peaceful and doesn't disrupt daily life in these districts.
P
Priya S
A respectful criticism: The article mentions 20 Zilla Parishads are still pending due to reservation cap issues. It's disappointing that even after all this time, a clear solution isn't in place for those areas. Their development is on hold.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50