The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, directed the Maharashtra State Election Commission (MSEC) to complete elections to local civic bodies in the state by January 31, 2026 while criticising the poll body for not meeting earlier deadlines.
A SC Bench made it clear that it has allowed an extension only as a one-time measure, ruling out any further delays.
The Bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, instructed the poll body to finish the ongoing delimitation process by 31 October 2025 and made clear that it cannot be used as an excuse to postpone the polls, according to official sources.
Elections must cover all local bodies in Maharashtra, including zilla parishads, panchayat samitis and municipalities. Any applications for logistic support must be filed by 31 October and no requests will be accepted later, the SC stated.
Earlier, the MSEC had cited challenges such as incomplete delimitation for municipalities, a shortage of electronic voting machines, staff constraints, and the non-availability of school premises because of board exams for the delay in holding elections. However, the apex court bench rejected these arguments, noting that the examinations scheduled for March 2026 cannot justify a delay and instructed the MSEC to submit a list of required personnel to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary within two weeks.
The Maharashtra Chief Secretary must allocate the necessary staff, coordinating with other departments if needed, within four weeks. The MSEC must also arrange for an adequate supply of voting machines as well as file a compliance affidavit on their availability by November 30, the bench stated.
The court suggested that petitions in the Bombay High Court concerning ward delimitation, reservation, and other election issues could be consolidated before a single Bench. It reiterated that local civic body polls should be held according to the reservation framework that existed before the Banthia Commission report of 2022, emphasising the need to uphold regular local civic body elections in Maharashtra.