Currently, the municipal elections in the state are in full swing, and since today is the last day to withdraw nominations, all eyes are on what the stance of the rebel candidates will be. Voting for the 29 municipal corporations in the state will take place on January 15, and the results will be announced on January 16. In such a situation, the movements for the district council elections in the state have also gained momentum.
The State Election Commission (Maharashtra Election Commission) is soon expected to announce the official election schedule for the Zilla Parishad elections. According to the order given by the Supreme Court, it is mandatory to complete the process of local self-government elections in the state by January 31. In the backdrop of this order, the State Election Commission is preparing for the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections.
Against this backdrop, the State Election Commission has called important meetings on January 6 and 7. These meetings will be attended by relevant district council officials, election machinery staff, and police officers. It is likely that final decisions regarding election dates, security arrangements, manpower, and the voting process will be made in these meetings.
It has been informed that the necessary EVM machines are available for the district council elections. However, since a large amount of manpower is currently engaged in municipal elections, it is speculated that the voting process for district councils may only take place after January 16. Therefore, all eyes are on the meetings on January 6 and 7.
Due to the issue of reservation, elections are likely to be held in about 12 district councils and 125 panchayat committees in the state. Elections are likely to be postponed in places where the reservation limit exceeds 50 percent. According to sources, voting for the district council elections may take place on January 5 or January 28, while the results are likely to be announced on January 26 or January 29.
Meanwhile, for the elections of 29 municipal corporations, major political parties are contesting independently in most places. Therefore, the entire state is focused on who will win in both the municipal and district council elections. It is predicted that there may be significant upheavals in local politics in the coming period.