Mumbai | Correspondent | Under the Maharashtra ZP Elections, following the municipal corporation and municipal council polls, the state’s focus has now shifted to rural local body elections. The Maharashtra State Election Commission today announced the official schedule for the elections. Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare and Secretary Suresh Kakani declared the election process for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis where there are no issues related to OBC reservation.
With the announcement of the election programme, the Model Code of Conduct has come into force immediately in the concerned districts, and the administration as well as political parties have begun preparations. As per the schedule, polling will be held on 5 February 2026, and counting of votes and results will be declared on 7 February at 10:00 am. In this backdrop, the Maharashtra ZP Elections are expected to significantly heat up rural politics.
According to the Election Commission’s announcement, elections will be conducted in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Solapur, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, and Dharashiv districts. The nomination filing process will begin on 16 January and continue until 21 January.
Meanwhile, elections for Zilla Parishads where reservation has exceeded the 50 percent limit will be conducted in a second phase. In this regard, the Supreme Court of India has granted the State Election Commission an additional 15 days. As a result, the Commission is mandated to complete the entire election process for Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis by 15 February.
The State Election Commission had sought additional time from the Supreme Court to conduct these elections. After hearing the matter, the Court approved the extension, and accordingly, the elections will be held in phases. Once the results of municipal elections are declared, the political atmosphere in rural Maharashtra is expected to intensify, and due to the Maharashtra ZP Elections, a full-fledged electoral contest will be seen across rural regions.
Complete Election Schedule
- Filing of Nominations: 16 January to 21 January
- Scrutiny of Nomination Papers: 22 January 2026
- Last Date for Withdrawal of Candidature: 27 January, up to 3:00 pm
- Final List of Candidates & Symbol Allotment: 27 January, after 3:30 pm
- Polling: 5 February, from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm
- Counting of Votes: 7 February, from 10:00 am onwards
