Maharashtra Civic Polls To Be Conducted By January Next Year, Rules SC; Pulls Up SEC For Missing Earlier Deadline

The Supreme Court on Tuesday rapped the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) for failing to conduct the local body elections across Maharashtra and directed the SEC to hold elections to Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis and all municipalities, including the Brihannmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) by January 31, 2026. 

The local bodies elections in Maharashtra have been stalled since 2022, owing to a litigation related to the implementation of reservations for the Other Backwards Classes (OBCs). The top court in May this year had directed the Maharashtra SEC to conclude the polls within four months, which is September.

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"Have the elections been conducted? Order was passed in May; elections were to be conducted in four months," a bench of Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi asked the SEC and the state government. When the counsel cited the ongoing delimitation process as the reason for the delay in polls, the bench said, "Your inaction speaks of incompetence. These issues were known to you even when we passed the first order."

However, the top court gave a one-time concession to the SEC owing to the delimitation process, but warned that no further extension would be granted. The court further directed the State Election Commission to end the process of delimitation by October 31, 2025.

“Elections of all local bodies, including Zila Parishads, Panchayat Samitis, and all municipalities, shall be conducted by 31.01.2026. No further extension shall be granted to the state/SEC. In case any other logistic assistance is required, an application needs to be filed promptly before 31.10.2025. No prayer will be entertained thereafter,” said the order. 

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The bench rejected the plea for postponement of polls on the ground that due to upcoming board exams, school premises will be unavailable, saying the exams will take place in March next year. "The Chief Secretary, Maharashtra, to immediately deploy requisite staff to perform duties of returning officers and other assisting staff as may be required," the order stated.

In its defence, the SEC told the Court today that the delimitation process has been completed for the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, while it is still ongoing for the municipalities. The SEC had sought an extension on grounds including insufficient EVMs, besides the unavailability of school premises due to board exams, the counsel told the court.

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"65,000 EVMs were currently available, and another 50,000 are required, which have been ordered," the counsel said. However, the bench dismissed all these arguments and asked the state poll panel to submit details of staff required for polls to the chief secretary within two weeks. "As regards the non-availability of requisite EVMs, we direct the SEC to make necessary arrangements and file a compliance affidavit regarding the availability of EVMs by November 30, 2025," the court ordered.

The bench was hearing petitions concerning the long-pending civic elections in Maharashtra. Petitioners, opposing the extension, argued the SEC failed to notify elections within the stipulated two weeks and was redoing the entire process, citing excuses ranging from festivals to staff shortages.

(With PTI Inputs)