‘Don’t know under what rules EC postponed local body polls in several areas,’ says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said, “I learnt about the EC’s decision to postpone some local body elections. I don’t understand under what rules they have done this. As far as I know, there is no provision to postpone elections a day before polling. Secondly, I have spoken to several experts and they also believe it is the wrong decision.”

“The elections in some places have been postponed just a day before it is scheduled to be held, which is an injustice towards honest candidates. All their campaigning efforts over the last 20 to 25 days have gone to waste,” the chief minister said.

Where have local body polls been postponed and why?

Local body elections across several municipal councils in Pune district, including Baramati, have been postponed after key court orders were delivered beyond the Maharashtra State Election Commission’s (SEC) mandated deadline. Officials confirmed that polling for all affected councils and wards will now be held on December 20, 2025. The EC’s decision came even as the campaign for the first phase is set to conclude on Monday.

The official press note issued by the Pune district administration states, “SEC had instructed that elections must not proceed in any municipal council or nagar panchayat where appeals related to membership disqualification or reservation disputes were still pending before district courts.”

Earlier, the SEC had set November 22 as the cutoff date for courts to issue rulings. But appeals concerning the president’s post in the Baramati Municipal Council and the Fursungi–Uruli Devachi Municipal Council were resolved only on November 26, four days after the deadline. Orders related to member seats in both councils were also issued after November 22.

Due to the late decisions and to avoid further complications, “the SEC ordered that the entire general elections for both councils, covering the President’s post and all member seats, be postponed to December 20.” Earlier, State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare had announced that the first phase of polls to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats will be held on December 2.

Besides, there were delays in appeals involving members’ seats in Talegaon Dabhade, Lonavala, Daund, and Saswad municipal councils. Since the rulings were issued after the cutoff date, the SEC rescheduled polling in the affected wards in these towns as well.

No fresh nominations to be permitted

Authorities added that no fresh nominations will be accepted for the postponed elections. Only withdrawals will be permitted till 3 pm on December 10. The revised election programme will be published by the SEC in newspapers and circulated widely to inform voters and candidates.

Jitendra Dudi, District Collector, Pune, urged citizens to pay attention to the changes, stating that the postponements were mandated under SEC guidelines after judicial orders crossed the official cutoff dates.

According to SEC office data, the election cycle will decide the fate of 6,859 members and 288 presidents across municipal councils and nagar panchayats. More than 1.07 crore voters will cast their ballots at 13,355 polling stations, with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) deployed and over 66,000 staff members assigned to manage polling.

An official said, “Of the total seats, 3,492 are reserved for women, 895 for Scheduled Castes, 338 for Scheduled Tribes, and 1,821 for Other Backward Classes. The expenditure limit for candidates has been set at Rs 15 lakh for the post of president and Rs 12 lakh for the post of member.”

Nomination filing began on November 10, closed on November 17, scrutiny took place on November 18, and withdrawals were allowed until November 21. The SEC received more than 51,000 nominations, the official added.

Of the 246 municipal councils, 10 are newly formed. Of the 42 nagar panchayats going to the polls, 15 are newly constituted, and 27 have completed their terms.

“Region-wise, the elections will cover 27 councils in Konkan, 59 in Nashik division, 60 in Pune division, and 55 in Nagpur division, making this a geographically diverse electoral exercise spanning urban and semi-urban Maharashtra,” the official said.

The local body polls are being fiercely contested with the BJP and alliance partner Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar extensively touring the state to galvanise voters. However, top Opposition leaders seem to be lagging when it comes to campaigning in a similar manner.

Even before the polling, the BJP has already secured 100 councillor seats and three municipal president posts unopposed. The dates for the second and third phases of elections to 29 municipal corporations, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis are yet to be announced.