In an unexpected turn just days before voting, the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has halted the ongoing municipal election process across multiple districts and announced a revised polling date of December 20, replacing the earlier schedule of December 2. The abrupt postponement has caught candidates and political parties off guard, especially as electioneering had intensified and preparations were nearing completion at the local level.
The SEC’s directive impacts municipal councils and nagar panchayats across nearly 20 districts—including Ambarnath in Thane, Baramati, Amravati, Ahilyanagar, Nanded, Solapur, Yavatmal, Dharashiv, Chandrapur, Akola, and Pune—where the Commission noted that legal procedures were “not followed as mandated.”
The core issue stems from delays and irregularities in handling appeals filed by candidates whose nomination forms were rejected. Under the Maharashtra Municipal Election Rules, 1966, all appeal decisions must be finalized by November 22, allowing candidates three days to withdraw their nominations. Only after this period can election symbols be allotted. However, the SEC found that several municipal bodies ignored this sequence, triggering what the Commission termed “serious procedural conflicts.”
In some areas, symbols were distributed before appeals were decided; in others, officials moved ahead with candidate confirmations and symbol allocation despite not receiving formal court orders. There were also cases where appeals remained pending, yet the election process continued unaffected.
Citing these lapses, the SEC stated in its order dated November 29 that “the ongoing process cannot proceed in violation of statutory provisions.” The Commission has therefore instructed that elections be paused immediately in all wards where irregularities occurred. Only the impacted wards—and where necessary, the entire municipal body including the president’s post—will follow the newly announced timetable. The SEC also issued sharp criticism of local election officers for failing to comply with well-defined rules.
The announcement has caused a ripple across Maharashtra’s political landscape. Campaigns that were in full momentum now face strategic uncertainty. Candidates who had poured substantial resources into outreach activities—rallies, padyatras, door-to-door canvassing, and publicity drives—must recalibrate their messaging and budgets to adapt to the extended timeline. Political analysts believe that the additional campaign days could reshape voter sentiment and provide parties room to renegotiate alliances or strengthen local narratives.
According to the revised SEC program, candidates will now have until December 10 to withdraw their nominations, with the final list and symbol allocation to be issued on December 11. Polling will take place on December 20 from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, and vote counting will be carried out on December 21. Final results are expected to be published in the government gazette before December 23.
