MUMBAI: After a gap of five years, the Maharashtra State Election Commission on Tuesday announced the schedule for local body elections.
Urban local body polls will be held on December 2, with counting on December 3. The nomination process will begin on November 10, with November 17 as the last date for filing nominations. Scrutiny will take place on November 18, and November 21 will be the final date for withdrawal.
Elections have been announced for 246 Nagar Parishads (municipal councils) and 42 Nagar Panchayats (municipalities). State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said polling dates have been declared for all local bodies except the 29 municipal corporations. Over 1.70 crore voters will exercise their franchise at 13,355 polling stations, he added.
“In this election, a total of 6,859 members and 288 presidents of municipal councils in local bodies will be elected. The polling will be held using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The polling will be held as per the electoral rolls of October 31,” he said.
Waghmare said the Election Commission has launched a new mobile app to enhance digital access, voter information, and transparency. “Through these digital platforms, voters will be able to easily find their personal information and specific ward details to exercise their voting rights. Comprehensive information about all candidates, including the affidavits submitted to the state election commission, will also be provided to voters ahead of the polls,” he added.
“Specific provisions have been introduced to deal with duplicate voters registered in multiple places. Such voters will be marked with a double star on the voters' list and will be strictly allowed to vote at only one place. SEC personnel will contact these voters to ascertain their preference,” the commissioner said.
The local body elections are significant for the ruling Mahayuti alliance to consolidate its position and for the opposition MVA to regain ground in state politics.
Polls for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other key municipal bodies are yet to be announced. Officials have indicated that once these urban and rural local body elections conclude, the high-stakes corporation polls such as the BMC election are likely to follow.
