The polls covered district councils in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv and Latur. In addition, elections were conducted for 1,462 seats across 125 panchayat committees. A total of 2,624 candidates contested the district council elections, while 4,814 candidates were in the fray for panchayat committee seats, indicating keen competition at the grassroots level.
The elections were originally scheduled for February 5 but were deferred following the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash. The state government announced three days of mourning, leading to the postponement of polling. Voting was eventually held on February 7, with election officials reporting a largely peaceful process across districts.
The outcome of the local body polls is being closely watched, particularly within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). This marks the first major electoral test for the party since Ajit Pawar’s sudden death. Political observers believe the results will play a significant role in determining the future direction of the NCP and its organisational strength at the district and block levels.
The elections are also significant due to the evolving dynamics within the NCP. After nearly two years of political rivalry, the two factions—one earlier led by Ajit Pawar and the other by party founder Sharad Pawar—adopted an informal understanding in select regions. In Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli, candidates from both factions contested under the party’s original clock symbol, signalling a temporary truce aimed at preserving traditional vote bases in local institutions.
Election officials said counting is being conducted under strict security arrangements, with results to be announced constituency-wise as tallies are completed. Leaders from major political parties, including the BJP, Congress and regional outfits, are tracking trends closely, as local body outcomes often influence alliance strategies and leadership equations ahead of assembly and parliamentary elections.
The results are expected to offer insights into voter sentiment at the grassroots level, the strength of party organisations in rural Maharashtra, and the political impact of recent developments in the state’s leadership landscape.
