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Polling for the remaining phases of the general elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis in Maharashtra will now be held on February 7 instead of February 5, following the demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and the three-day state mourning declared in his honour and the counting of votes will take place on February 9 instead of February 7.
The State Election Commission had announced the election programme for these Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis on 13 January. The State Election Commission had earlier announced the election programme for these local bodies on January 13. As per the schedule, key processes such as filing of nominations, withdrawal of nominations, allotment of symbols and publication of the final list of contesting candidates have already been completed. The remaining stages of the election include polling, counting of votes, and publication of the names of elected members in the Official Gazette. The Supreme Court granted an extension of only two weeks beyond 31 January to conduct these elections. However, the sudden demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on January 28 prompted the state government to declare a mourning period from January 28 to 30. Considering this period, adjustments have been made to the election schedule for the Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis. The concerned District Collectors have been directed to publish the revised election programme on January 31. Polling will now be conducted on February 7 from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, while the period for public campaigning will end at 10:00 pm on February 5, 2026. Vote counting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am on February 9 at the respective counting centres. Following the declaration of results, the Model Code of Conduct will cease to be in force at the concerned locations. The names of the elected members will be published in the Government Gazette by February 11. (ANI)
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