Widespread Irregularities Force Maharashtra SEC to Halt Local Polls
The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has taken the significant step of suspending and rescheduling local body elections in at least 20 locations across the state. This decision, driven by the discovery of widespread procedural violations and pending court disputes, directly impacts the political turf of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, with his home constituency of Baramati featuring prominently on the list.
List of Affected Areas and New Election Date
Originally scheduled for December 2, 2025, the elections for these specific councils and panchayats will now be held on December 20, 2025. The suspension affects entire councils in some places and specific wards in others, primarily due to legal challenges concerning candidacy for the council chief's post.
The affected areas include:
- Baramati and Talegaon in Pune district.
- Four municipal councils in Ahmednagar: Devlali, Kopargaon, Nevasa, and Pathardi.
- Phaltan and Mahabaleshwar in Satara district.
- Digras, Pandharkavda, Wani in Yavatmal district.
- Ghuggus, Gadchandur, Mul in Chandrapur.
- Balapur in Akola.
- Anjangaon-Surji in Amaravati.
- Dharashiv municipal council in Dharashiv district.
- Mangalvedha in Solapur.
- Badalapur in Thane.
- Mukhed and Dharmabad municipal panchayats in Nanded district.
Root Cause: Procedural Lapses and Denied Rights
According to the SEC's official order, the core issue lies in the flawed handling of candidate appeals. The commission found that appeals filed with the Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats, which were legally required to be decided by November 22, 2025, were not processed in time.
This deadline was critical as it was designed to ensure a mandatory three-day window for candidates to withdraw their nominations, as per Rule 17 (1) (b) of the Maharashtra Municipal Elections Rules, 1966. The SEC's investigation revealed a pattern of violations where appeal verdicts were delayed, written orders were not provided, and in some instances, hearings were not conducted at all.
Consequently, the symbol allotment process carried out by Returning Officers on or after November 26, 2025, was deemed "irregular" and "invalid" as it deprived candidates of their statutory withdrawal period.
Broader Implications and Legal Context
The SEC has mandated that the election process be suspended and restarted for the concerned seats. Crucially, if the election involves the post of President, the suspension applies to the entire President's post in that particular council or panchayat.
This postponement adds another layer of complexity to the already contentious local body polls in Maharashtra. The Supreme Court had previously directed the SEC to complete the process before January 31, 2026. Opposition parties had earlier raised red flags about a faulty voters' list and other irregularities.
Furthermore, the polls remain under the shadow of legal challenges concerning the crossing of the 50% political reservation limit in various local bodies. While the Supreme Court allowed the current polls to proceed, the results for bodies with reservation exceeding the cap will be subject to the court's future verdict.
