MAHARASHTRA — The Maharashtra State Election Commission just released the results for the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections across 12 districts, wrapping up a long round of local polls that started earlier this month. On February 7, voters from rural and semi-urban areas picked their representatives for 731 ZP seats and 1,462 Panchayat Samiti seats. Turnout was strong, with over 68 percent of eligible voters showing up.
These elections were supposed to happen on February 5, but Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar passed away, and the state went into three days of mourning. The vote finally happened peacefully across places like Pune, Kolhapur, Sangli, Solapur, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Satara, Dharashiv, Parbhani, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Latur. Counting day was February 9, and each district had tight security at the counting centers.
Also Read: Pre-Market: What’s Moving the Market Before Monday’s Open
Voter Turnout and What Stood Out
The numbers tell a clear story. Parbhani led the way with a turnout of 74.89 percent, just edging out Kolhapur at 74.45 percent. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar also crossed 72 percent. Ratnagiri, on the other hand, saw the lowest turnout among the 12 districts. All together, rural voters showed up in big numbers — over 1.41 crore people cast their ballot out of 2.07 crore eligible voters.
Given the unexpected holiday and the focus on rural areas, this turnout impressed many. Even in far-off talukas, people made it to polling stations, making sure their voices counted and their councils represent what they want.
Political Takeaways
For political watchers, these results are a reality check on where the big parties really stand, especially in western Maharashtra. Here, both sides of the Nationalist Congress Party worked together to avoid splitting their votes. The way alliances played out and how regional parties performed is bound to shape the big parties’ plans for upcoming state and national elections.
Apart from the numbers, there were a few bumps. In Pune, police caught some people trying to vote with fake Aadhaar cards. Still, most centers ran a smooth and fair process, keeping things transparent.
Also Read:Bomb Threat Emails Put Delhi Schools on Edge
What Happens Next
Now that the results are out, state officials are moving ahead with the next steps — notifying the winners and kicking off the process to pick Zilla Parishad presidents and Panchayat Samiti heads in every district. These leaders will have a big say in how rural projects, infrastructure, and government schemes get rolled out on the ground.
One thing to note: all results are provisional until district authorities officially certify them. Parties and the winning candidates have been reminded to follow the rules as they get ready to take office.
With these new councils in place, Maharashtra’s rural politics is set for some changes — and what happens here is likely to ripple into bigger state-level shifts in the coming months.
