More than 50% Zilla Parishads will be headed by women in Maharashtra

Among others, Ratnagiri, Dhule, Satara, Jalna, Nanded are reserved for OBC women while Solapur, Hingoli, Nagpur, Bhandara are reserved for OBCs. Palghar, Nandurbar, Ahilyanagar, Akola, Washim are reserved for Scheduled Tribes out of which Akola, Washim, Ahilyanagar are reserved for women.

The chairperson post in Beed, Parbhani, Wardha and Chandrapur Zilla Parishads are reserved for Scheduled Caste out of which Beed and Chandrapur are reserved for women.

In Maharashtra, the local body polls will be nothing less than mini-assembly polls. In urban areas, out of 29 Total Municipal Corporations (Jalna and Ichalkaranji newly formed), all currently are run by administrators and are without an elected body. The state has a Total of 248 Municipal Councils and all have Administrators.Out of 147 Nagar Panchayats, Administrators i.e. expired and newly formed Nagar Panchayats are 42, where elections will be held.

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

Last month, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare had said that the local body polls in Maharashtra will take place in phases. The announcement of reservation for Zilla Parishad chairperson post indicates that the ZP and Panchayat Samiti polls may be held in the first phase, followed by elections in urban local bodies.