• Polling in 20 civic bodies, including Baramati, was deferred after the SEC flagged irregular symbol allotments.
• Bombay High Court ordered counting and results to be rescheduled to December 21 to avoid influencing second-phase voting.
• Political parties criticised the SEC for administrative lapses, leaving candidates and voters facing extended uncertainty.
Maharashtra Local-Body Polls Hit by Delays as SEC Lapses and Court Orders Stall Results
Maharashtra’s civic elections have been pushed into uncertainty after procedural errors and a Bombay High Court directive forced the postponement of polling in several bodies and delayed statewide counting. With fresh voting set for December 20 and results on December 21, the election process now stretches far beyond its original schedule.
Summary
Maharashtra’s local-body elections across 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats on December 2, 2025, have been thrown off course after procedural errors and judicial intervention led to postponements and deferred results. The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) stopped polling in about 20 civic bodies — including the key constituency of Baramati — following the discovery that election symbols were assigned without completing necessary court reviews or providing the mandated withdrawal period for candidates. These affected areas will now go to the polls on December 20. The ruling NDA government and opposition heavliy criticised SEC for lapses in governance.
Adding to the uncertainty, the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench ordered that counting and result announcements — earlier planned for December 3 — be deferred to December 21. The court observed that tallying votes from the first phase while other segments were yet to vote could skew the electoral atmosphere and therefore directed a single counting date for all regions.
The series of disruptions has sparked political criticism. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed the SEC’s decisions as “legally problematic,” saying many contenders had already invested heavily in their campaigns and are now stuck in prolonged uncertainty. Opposition leaders too have raised questions about the administrative lapses that led to the extensive reshuffling of schedules.
With counting suspended and another round of polling ahead, candidates and voters remain unsure of the final outcome. The extended election timetable has also heightened concerns over the functioning and reliability of the electoral system. As Maharashtra waits for December 20 and December 21, the transition of power in several civic bodies remains on hold — delaying governance processes across numerous towns in the state.
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