Mumbai: The State Election Commission has completed all preparations to conduct elections to 12 Zila Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis across Maharashtra on Saturday, with polling scheduled from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. The election programme was originally announced on January 13, 2026, with voting planned for February 5, but the date was postponed following the accidental death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and the declaration of state mourning. Counting of votes will begin at 10 am on February 9.
Voting will take place for 731 Zila Parishad seats, including 369 reserved for women, 83 for Scheduled Castes, 25 for Scheduled Tribes and 191 for the Other Backward Classes category, with 2,624 candidates contesting. In the 125 Panchayat Samitis, elections will be held for 1,462 seats, of which 731 are reserved for women, 166 for Scheduled Castes, 38 for Scheduled Tribes and 342 for OBCs, with 4,814 candidates in the fray.
The total electorate stands at 20,820,702 voters, including 10,633,269 men, 10,186,965 women and 468 others. Authorities have established 25,471 polling stations and deployed nearly 1.28 lakh personnel, including 125 returning officers and an equal number of assistant returning officers. Adequate police security, monitoring systems and logistical arrangements have been put in place to ensure peaceful and transparent polling. More than 51,000 control units and 1.10 lakh ballot units of electronic voting machines have been arranged, and officials have undergone necessary training.
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Voters can locate their names and polling centres through the ‘Matadhikar’ mobile application or the official voter list website. Special facilities such as ramps, wheelchairs, drinking water, electricity, shade and toilets will be available at polling stations, with priority voting for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and mothers with infants.
State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare has appealed to citizens to participate in large numbers, emphasising that these elections play a crucial role in shaping the future development of villages and strengthening the foundations of democracy.
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