Congress MLC Satej Patil voiced strong displeasure over the schedule for the upcoming zilla parishad elections. The State Election Commission announced the poll dates, leaving candidates with just nine days to campaign in ZP constituencies. Each of these constituencies is nearly half the size of an assembly constituency, making the task even more challenging.
Election Schedule Details
The State Election Commission revealed that voting for 12 zilla parishads and 125 panchayat samitis will occur on February 5. Counting of votes is scheduled for February 7. Most of the ZPs heading to the polls are located in the Pune division. This includes five key districts: Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, and Kolhapur.
Nomination Process Timeline
According to the official schedule, the nomination process begins on January 16. Candidates can file their papers starting from that date. The last day for accepting nominations is January 21. Scrutiny of the nomination papers will take place on January 22. The final list of candidates, along with their symbols, will be published on January 27.
Patil's Concerns and Demands
Satej Patil expressed deep concern over the limited campaign period. He pointed out that candidates get only nine days to campaign if one considers all the days from the filing of nomination papers. The geographical size of ZP constituencies is much larger than municipal corporation wards. Covering such vast areas in a short time is extremely difficult for candidates.
Patil emphasized that the poll panel should find a solution to this problem. He urged the commission to ensure candidates receive enough time to reach out to voters effectively. The Congress leader stressed the importance of fair campaigning opportunities in a democratic process.
Opposition's Stance
Patil also confirmed that the opposition parties would contest all zilla parishad elections under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. This united front aims to present a strong challenge in the upcoming polls across the state.
