After the passing of Ajit Pawar and the declaration of a three-day state mourning period, the Maharashtra State Election Commission announced that it has revised the timetable for the forthcoming local body polls in the state.
According to the commission, voting for the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections will now be conducted on February 7, while the counting of votes has been moved to February 9. Previously, polling was planned for February 5 and counting for February 7, but the schedule has been pushed back in view of the mourning period.
The election authority noted that large-scale preparations were already underway, including logistical planning for roughly 25,482 polling booths across the state. Voting hours remain unchanged and will continue to run from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Explaining the rationale for the change, the commission said the mourning period would significantly disrupt campaign activities, making it difficult for candidates to reach voters and carry out normal electioneering. Because campaigning would be curtailed, proceeding with polling and counting on the earlier dates was considered impractical.
As a result, the commission decided a revised calendar was necessary for the remaining phases of elections to the 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis. Despite the date changes, all other election-related arrangements remain active.
The poll body also clarified that the Model Code of Conduct is already in effect and will continue to apply without interruption until the entire election process concludes and results are officially declared.
