Due to the demise of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the state government declared a three-day mourning period. In view of this, the remaining phases of the general elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and the 125 Panchayat Samitis under them have been rescheduled, the State Election Commission said.
According to the revised programme, polling, which was earlier scheduled for February 5, 2026, will now be held on February 7, 2026, while the counting of votes will take place on February 9, 2026, instead of February 7.
The State Election Commission had originally announced the election schedule for the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections on January 13, 2026. As per the notified programme, the processes of filing nomination papers, withdrawal of nominations, allotment of election 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 the elected representatives in the Official Gazette.
The Supreme Court (SC) had granted only a two-week extension beyond January 31, 2026, for the completion of these elections. However, following the sudden demise of the senior leader on January 28, 2026, the state observed a mourning period from January 28 to January 30, 2026, necessitating minor adjustments to the election timetable.
Accordingly, District Collectors will issue notifications announcing the revised election schedule on January 31, 2026. Polling will be conducted on February 7, 2026, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and election campaigning will conclude at 10:00 p.m. on February 5, 2026.
The counting of votes will commence at 10:00 a.m. on February 9, 2026, at the designated counting centres. The Model Code of Conduct will remain in force in the concerned areas until the declaration of results. The names of the elected members will be published in the Government Gazette by February 11, 2026, the Commission added.