Irregularities, court cases: Maharashtra local polls postponed in 20 places

According to sources, the seats where elections are deferred are Baramati and Talegaon in Pune; four municipal councils in Ahilyanagar district — namely Devlali, Kopargaon, Nevasa and Pathardi; Phaltan and Mahabaleshwar in Satara district; Digras, Pandharkavda, Wani in Yavatmal district; Ghuggus, Gadchandur, Mul in Chandrapur; Balapur in Akola; Anjangaon-Surji in Amaravati; Dharashiv municipal council in Dharashiv; Mangalvedha in Solapur; Badalapur in Thane and Mukhed and Dharmabad municipal panchayats in Nanded district.

The SEC had not issued a list detailing the names and numbers of local bodies/wards where election has been postponed till the time of writing this report.

As per a statement from the SEC, the current process, particularly the allotment of election symbols, has been rendered “irregular” due to the delayed disposal of candidate appeals and the subsequent denial of a mandatory withdrawal window.

According to the SEC’s order, appeals filed with the Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats were legally required to be decided by November 22, 2025. This deadline was designed to ensure that concerned candidates had a three-day period, as mandated by Rule 17 (1) (b) of the Maharashtra Municipal Elections Rules, 1966, to withdraw their nomination papers before the process moved forward. However, the SEC found widespread violations where; the appeal verdicts were delivered late, written orders were not provided and in some cases, appeal hearings were not conducted at all.

“The symbol allotment, scheduled for November 26, 2025, or later, was carried out without granting candidates the necessary statutory period for withdrawal,” the order stated.

The Commission determined that any symbol allotment carried out by the Returning Officers concerned on or after November 26, 2025, in these specific cases is therefore invalid and contrary to the established rules.

“The ongoing election process has been ordered to be suspended and restarted only for the seats of the concerned members in the affected Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats. Crucially, if the body includes the election of a President, the suspension applies to the entire President’s post in that Municipal Council or Nagar Panchayat,” it said.

The SEC had declared elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 municipal panchayats on December 2. Now, for the above mentioned areas and wards, the election will be held on December 20.

The polls, however, have been marred by controversies from the beginning. In May 2025, the Supreme Court asked the SEC to complete the process of local body polls before January 31, 2026. Before announcement of the municipal council and municipal panchayat polls, Opposition parties had raised objections alleging faulty voters’ list and widespread irregularities.

A number of petitioners approached the Supreme Court, alleging crossing of 50 per cent political reservation in various local bodies that delayed the announcement of Zilla Parishad and Municipal Corporation polls.

Last week, even though the apex court gave its go ahead to the polls, the result of local bodies with more than 50 per cent political reservation (municipal council and municipal Panchayat) will be subjected to the future verdict of the court in this case.

Additionally, the SEC is unlikely to proceed for the election in Zilla Parishad and panchayat samitis where the said limit is crossed as the court has not given any directions regarding the same.