Maharashtra local body elections: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court gave an important decision regarding all the local body elections in Maharashtra. The bench of Justice Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi gave clear instructions that elections of all Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samitis and Municipalities should be held by January 31, 2026. The court also made it clear that no extension will be given after this deadline.
Strict reprimand to State Election Commission (SEO)
Along with this, the Supreme Court strongly reprimanded the State Election Commission (SEC) for delaying the election process and not following the pre-determined deadline. The court said that the commission is repeatedly violating the deadline and this is also harmful to the democratic process. The bench also remarked that the State Election Commission has failed to follow the instructions of this court, which is an extremely serious matter.
It is mandatory to complete the delimitation work.
The court gave a clear direction that the ongoing delimitation work should be completed by October 31, 2025 at any cost. It was also said that the process of delimitation can no longer be made the basis for postponing the elections.
If you need logistical assistance, contact on time
The court has directed the state government and the Election Commission that if they need any kind of logistical or technical assistance, then contact the Supreme Court before October 31, 2025. No petition will be accepted after this date.
Reasons like ‘shortage of EVMs’ will not be accepted
The issues raised by the State Election Commission such as non-availability of EVMs, lack of school campuses due to board examinations, and shortage of staff were dismissed outright by the Supreme Court, calling them an excuse for administrative laxity. The court said that the board examinations are in March 2026, so there should be no obstacle in holding elections by January.
