Maharashtra is set to go to the polls on December 2 for a crucial round of local body elections covering 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats, marking the first phase of a three-tier electoral process mandated by the Supreme Court.
The elections are viewed as a major test of political sentiment following the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s sweeping victory in the November 2024 Assembly elections, where it secured 235 of 288 seats.
Political analysts note that the results will indicate whether the coalition’s recent electoral momentum will extend to grassroots governance, or if opposition parties can regain ground at the municipal level, reported the PTI.
The campaign period has been extended until 10 pm on December 1, with counting scheduled for December 3. The model code of conduct has been in force since State Election Commission had earlier announced the poll schedule on November 4.
The elections will decide the fate of 6,859 councillors and 288 council presidents, with more than 1.07 crore eligible voters expected to cast their ballots across 13,355 polling stations. Electronic Voting Machines will be used throughout, and more than 66,000 personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the election process, according to the PTI.
According to officials, of the total seats, 3,492 are reserved for women, 895 for Scheduled Castes, 338 for Scheduled Tribes, and 1,821 for Other Backward Classes. The expenditure cap for candidates has been fixed at Rs 15 lakh for council president posts and Rs 12 lakh for councillor positions.
The nomination process began on November 10, closing on November 17, with scrutiny held on November 18 and the deadline for withdrawals on November 21. Over 51,000 nominations were received, as per the PTI.
Of the 246 municipal councils going to the polls, 10 are newly formed. Among the 42 nagar panchayats, 15 are newly constituted while 27 have completed their terms. Regionally, the elections cover 27 councils in Konkan, 59 in Nashik division, 60 in Pune division and 55 in Nagpur division, making this an extensive exercise across urban and semi-urban Maharashtra.
Political manoeuvring has been intense, with the ruling Mahayuti alliance — comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP — contesting against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (Shiv Sena UBT, NCP SP and Congress).
The BJP has already secured 100 councillor seats and three council president positions unopposed, a development state party chief Ravindra Chavan attributed to public confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ leadership. However, the party has faced criticism in Loha Nagar Parishad in Nanded, where NCP MLA Pratap Patil Chikhalikar questioned the BJP for awarding six tickets to members of the Suryavanshi family, sparking debate over dynastic politics.
The elections are being held amid opposition demands for postponement, citing alleged irregularities in voter rolls, including duplicate and bogus entries.
In response, the Election Commission has introduced a verification system marking suspected duplicate voters with double stars and requiring strict identity checks at polling stations, the news agency reported.
To improve transparency, the Election Commission has launched a mobile app offering voter and candidate information, including candidate affidavits, and published booth-wise voter lists on November 7.
The Maharashtra local body elections are part of a Supreme Court directive requiring all pending elections in Maharashtra to be completed by January 31, 2026.
Poll schedules for 29 municipal corporations, 32 zilla parishads and 336 panchayat samitis are yet to be released. The long-delayed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, last held in 2017, are expected around mid-January.
(with PTI inputs)
