Maharashtra local body polls: 37.94% voter turnout till 1:30 PM

Mumbai (PTI): A voter turnout of an estimated 37.94 per cent was recorded till 1:30 PM on Saturday in the polls to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis in Maharashtra, with the elections unfolding under the shadow of Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash last month.

Seen as the first major electoral test since the tragedy, the polls are being closely watched for signals on the future direction and unity of the Nationalist Congress Party, whose factions are contesting in an alliance in their western Maharashtra strongholds.

The elections, originally scheduled for February 5, were postponed following the death of Ajit Pawar and the subsequent declaration of three days of state mourning.

Polling will continue till 5.30 PM. Votes will be counted on February 9, after which the model code of conduct will be lifted.

Polling is underway in Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv, and Latur districts to elect 731 members, for which 2,624 candidates are in the fray.

A voter turnout of an estimated 37.94 per cent was recorded till 1:30 PM, according to the State Election Commission.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, NCP (SP) leaders Jayant Patil and Rohit Pawar were among the early voters who exercised their franchise after polling commenced at 7.30 AM.

Sunetra Pawar cast her vote along with her elder son, Parth Pawar, at a primary school in Katewadi village in Baramati.

She appealed to citizens across the state to actively participate in the crucial democratic process for a brighter future.

NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar urged citizens to actively participate in the democratic process by exercising their right to vote.

"By exercising our sacred right of voting, we have paid tribute to Ajitdada's vision. I appeal to everyone to exercise their democratic right and contribute to the national effort of making democracy stronger," he stated on X.

लोकशाहीच्या बळकटीकरणासाठी पिंपळी (बारामती) इथं सहकुटुंब मतदानाचा पवित्र हक्क बजावून मा. अजितदादांच्या विचारांना श्रद्धांजली अर्पण केली. आपणही लोकशाहीतील मतदानाचा हक्क बजवावा आणि लोकशाही अधिक मजबूत करण्याच्या राष्ट्रीय कार्यात योगदान द्यावं, ही विनंती!#ZPElection2026#Baramatipic.twitter.com/mAvZPW03Px

— Rohit Pawar (@RRPSpeaks) February 7, 2026

The elections are being watched amid speculation about the possible unification of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The two factions had set aside their bitter two-year rivalry to contest these local body polls in an informal alliance in Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli, where candidates from both sides are contesting under the original 'clock' symbol.

While grassroots workers have hailed the local-level coordination as a "tribute to Ajit Dada," the top leadership remains cautious.

NCP veteran Praful Patel recently downplayed merger talks, labelling the Zilla Parishad alliance as a purely "tactical electoral consensus". However, NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil claimed that a formal merger was "Ajit Pawar's last wish," which was originally slated to be announced on February 12.

A total of 2,624 candidates are contesting for 731 Zilla Parishad seats, of which 369 are reserved for women, 83 for Scheduled Castes, 25 for Scheduled Tribes and 191 for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Similarly, 4,814 candidates are contesting for 1,462 Panchayat Samiti seats, of which 731 are reserved for women, 166 for Scheduled Castes, 38 for Scheduled Tribes and 342 for the Other Backward Classes.

The electorate includes 1,06,33,269 men, 1,01,86,965 women and 468 voters from other categories. A total of 25,471 polling stations have been set up, with around 1.28 lakh personnel deployed for election duty, including 125 returning officers and 125 assistant returning officers.

The Election Commission has arranged sufficient electronic voting machines (EVMs), including 51,537 control units and 1,10,329 ballot units, and officials have been trained for their use.

Voters will cast two votes — one for the Zilla Parishad constituency and another for the Panchayat Samiti electoral division. White ballot papers will be used for Zilla Parishad elections, while pink ballot papers will be used for Panchayat Samiti elections.

In December 2025, the Mahayuti alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP swept the elections to 288 municipal councils and nagar panchayats, winning 207 posts of presidents in the local bodies. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi was restricted to a collective tally of 44.

The BJP continued its winning streak in the civic polls to 29 municipal corporations held in January 2026, emerging as the single largest party.