'Maharashtra Local Body Polls Likely After Diwali,' Says State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare

Mumbai: The process for holding elections to local self-government bodies in Maharashtra — including Municipal Corporations, Zilla Parishads, and Municipal Councils — is expected to commence after Diwali, by the end of October 2025. This announcement was made by State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare during a review meeting held in Nashik for upcoming elections in North Maharashtra.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Waghmare stated that the Supreme Court has directed that elections must be held within four months. The State Election Commission will conduct the elections in a phased manner. Waghmare clarified that while reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) remain fixed, reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBC) will be implemented through a lottery system in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines.

“The same principle applied in previous elections will be followed this time as well,” he said. The electoral roll as of July 1, 2025, will be used for the elections. Once the draft ward boundaries are finalized, the rest of the process will move forward. The meeting also included discussions about deployment of election officials, technical infrastructure, and necessary logistics. He also confirmed that VVPAT machines will not be used in the upcoming local elections.

He also stated that it would not be feasible to conduct all local body elections simultaneously due to manpower constraints. However, it is not yet decided which election will be held first. The election process is expected to begin after the end of October, post-Diwali. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare criticized the decision to exclude VVPAT machines from the local elections calling it arbitrary. She said it undermined the transparency of the electoral process. Andhare remarked, “Instead of eliminating VVPATs and conducting a mockery of elections, it would be better to not hold such farcical elections at all.”