Maharashtra poll panel asks urban, rural depts to begin restructuring of wards, finish task in 40 days

In Maharashtra, the local body polls will be nothing less than mini-Assembly polls. All the 29 municipal corporations (Jalna and Ichalkaranji newly formed) are without an elected body and are being run by administrators.

There are total 248 Municipal Councils in Maharashtra, all of which have administrators. Out of the 147 Nagar Panchayats, there are 42 Nagar Panchayats run by administrators where elections will be held.

In rural Maharashtra, out of 34 Zilla Parishads, 32 has administrators, except for Bhandraa and Gondia, whose term will end in May 2027. In case of Panchayat samitis, out of total 351 Panchayat samitis, 336 has administrators where elections will be held.

On May 6, underlining that the constitutional mandate for democracy at the grassroots level must be “respected and ensured,” the Supreme Court directed holding of the local body elections in Maharashtra, with OBC reservation set to the percentage which existed before the submission of the Banthia commission report in July 2022.