Maharashtra Zilla Parishad And Panchayat Elections: The State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday announced that voting for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis will now take place on February 7, with the counting of votes scheduled for February 9. The polls have been postponed after the state government declared a three-day mourning following the tragic death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati on Wednesday.

The State Election Commission had originally announced the dates for Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis elections on January 13. According to the earlier schedule, polling was set to be held on February 5, with counting of votes on February 7.

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Maharashtra Zilla Parishad And Panchayat Elections

- According to the SEC, Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections will be held across 12 districts, including Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Dharashiv, Latur, and Parbhani.

- A total of 25,482 polling stations will be set up for Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections, where around 2.09 crore voters, including 1.02 crore women, will cast their votes.

- According to an India TV report, each voter will cast two votes, including one for the Zilla Parishad and another for the Panchayat Samiti.

- In the 12 Ziila Parishads, a total of 431 members will be elected, while 1,462 members will be elected in the 125 Panchayat Samitis.

- Of these 1,462 Panchayat Samiti seats, 431 are reserved for women, 166 for Scheduled Castes (SCs), 38 for Scheduled Tribes (STs), and 342 for Other Backwards Classes (OBCs), the report added.

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Ajit Pawar Plane Crash

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar and four others died after a chartered plane carrying them crashed while landing on Wednesday, January 28, in Baramati, Pune district.

His last rites were held on Thursday and were attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, senior leaders Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, and other dignitaries.