NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed that all local body elections in Maharashtra be conducted by January 31, 2026, pulling up the state election commission (SEC) for non-compliance of its order.
In May this year, the court had ordered that the polls, pending since 2022, be conducted by September. “Elections to all local bodies, including zila parishads, panchayat samitis and municipalities, shall be conducted by January 31, 2026.
No further extension shall be granted to the state and the state election commission. In case any other logistic assistance required, application can be filed promptly before October 31, 2025,” said a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi.
The SEC’s counsel informed the bench that the delimitation for municipalities was underway and sought an extension due to insufficient EVMs and unavailability of school premises due to board exams.