Polling for Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Rescheduled to February 7; Counting on February 9, 2026
Mumbai, Jan 29: In view of the three-day state mourning declared following the demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, changes have been made to the remaining phases of the general elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis under them. Accordingly, polling, earlier scheduled for February 5, 2026, will now be held on February 7, 2026, while vote counting, earlier fixed for February 7, will now take place on February 9, 2026.
The State Election Commission had announced the election programme for these Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis on January 13, 2026. As per the schedule, stages such as filing of nominations, withdrawal of candidature, allotment of symbols, and publication of the final list of contesting candidates have already been completed. The remaining stages include polling, counting of votes, and publication of the names of elected members in the Official Gazette.
The Supreme Court had granted only a two-week extension beyond January 31, 2026, for conducting these elections. However, following the accidental demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on January 28, 2026, the State Government declared mourning from January 28 to January 30, 2026. Taking this period into account, revisions have been made to the remaining phases of the election programme.
Accordingly, the concerned District Collectors will publish the revised election schedule on January 31, 2026. Polling will now be held on February 7, 2026, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Consequently, the campaign period will end at 10:00 p.m. on February 5, 2026.
Vote counting will commence at 10:00 a.m. on February 9, 2026, at the respective centres. The Model Code of Conduct in the concerned areas will be lifted after declaration of results. The names of the elected members will be published in the Government Gazette by February 11, 2026.
