UP Panchayat Elections 2026: 504 Gram Panchayats Reduced Amid Urban Expansion; Direct Polls For Key Posts Under Review

Lucknow: Preparations for the Uttar Pradesh Panchayat elections are now officially underway, with the Panchayati Raj Department issuing a notification for the partial reorganization of panchayats. These elections, anticipated in April 2026, are widely viewed as a crucial precursor to the 2027 state assembly elections, with both opposition and ruling NDA allies reportedly preparing to contest independently.

According to the notification from the Panchayati Raj Department, elections will be held for 57,695 Gram Pradhans, 826 Block Pramukhs, and 75 Zila Panchayat Chairpersons. This marks a reduction of 504 Gram Panchayats compared to the 58,199 units in the 2021 elections.

The decrease in the number of Gram Panchayats is primarily attributed to extensive urbanization across the state. The expansion of urban boundaries has absorbed several villages and Gram Panchayats into municipal areas, leading to an increase in urban local bodies and a corresponding reduction in rural administrative units.

This decline has been observed in 36 districts of Uttar Pradesh, with Deoria seeing the highest reduction of 64 Gram Panchayats, followed by Azamgarh (47), Pratapgarh (45), Amroha and Gorakhpur (21 each), Ghaziabad (19), Fatehpur (18), Aligarh (16), and Farrukhabad (14).

Discussions have also commenced regarding the possibility of direct elections for single posts, specifically for Block Pramukhs and Zila Panchayat Chairpersons. Currently, these positions are elected indirectly by Panchayat Samiti members and Zila Panchayat members, respectively.

Political parties, including NDA ally Om Prakash Rajbhar's party and the Aam Aadmi Party, have advocated for direct public election to curb the substantial expenditure often associated with these indirect contests.

The Panchayati Raj Department is reportedly considering a proposal for the government to facilitate direct elections for these posts.