Election Overview and Turnout
The 2026 Maharashtra Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections saw intense electoral activity across the state, with vote counting commencing for 12
Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis. An aggregate voter turnout of 68.28 percent was recorded on election day. Among the districts, Parbhani stood out with the highest participation rate at 74.89 percent, demonstrating significant civic engagement. Following closely, Kolhapur registered a turnout of 74.45 percent, with Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar also showing strong engagement at 72.69 percent. Conversely, Ratnagiri reported the lowest voter turnout, with only 55.79 percent of the electorate casting their ballots. In total, the elections featured 7,438 candidates vying for 731 Zilla Parishad seats and 1,462 Panchayat Samiti seats. The electorate comprised over two crore individuals, with a demographic breakdown of 1,06,33,269 men, 1,01,86,965 women, and 468 voters from other categories. To facilitate the democratic process, authorities established 25,471 polling stations and deployed approximately 1.28 lakh personnel. These polls, originally scheduled for February 5, were rescheduled due to the unfortunate demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and the subsequent declaration of state mourning. A minor electoral disturbance was noted in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where a Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate reportedly attempted to disrupt a rival BJP-backed booth, citing suspicions of vote-buying.
Pune District Results
In a significant development within the Pune Zilla Parishad elections, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) secured a dominant position, leading in 43 out of the 73 seats. This strong performance is viewed by NCP Pune district president Sambhaji Holkar as a tribute from voters to the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. BJP leader and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule echoed this sentiment, suggesting the results reflect Ajit Pawar's lasting influence. The NCP's strength in Pune is particularly noteworthy as both the Sharad Pawar faction and the late Ajit Pawar's faction contested these polls as alliance partners in the district, a traditional stronghold for the party. Furthermore, in a notable mayoral election, BJP Corporator Manjusha Nagpure was elected unopposed as the Mayor of Pune, highlighting a different political dynamic within the city's local governance. Early trends also indicated the NCP's lead in several Panchayat Samitis within the Pune district, including Baramati, Indapur, Ambegaon, Shirur, Haveli, Daund, and Bhor, suggesting a widespread mandate for the party across various local bodies.
Baramati and Kolhapur Triumphs
The Baramati taluka witnessed a decisive victory for the NCP, which swept all six Zilla Parishad seats and secured all 12 seats in the Panchayat Samiti elections, reinforcing its status as a traditional stronghold. This success was achieved with the Sharad Pawar faction and the late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s faction contesting together as alliance partners. In the Kolhapur Zilla Parishad elections, the Mahayuti alliance achieved a commanding victory. The NCP emerged as the leading party within the alliance, winning 19 seats, followed by the BJP with 10 seats and the Shiv Sena securing eight seats. The Congress, however, experienced a setback in Kolhapur, managing to win only 15 seats. It is significant that both factions of the NCP in Kolhapur also contested these polls collaboratively as a united front.
Key Victories Across Districts
Several significant individual and party victories marked the election outcomes across Maharashtra. Aakanksha Chougule, daughter of former Shiv Sena MLA Dnyanraj Chougule, secured a win from Alur, positioning herself as a strong contender for the chairperson's post of the Umarga Panchayat Samiti. Her campaign received substantial backing from Guardian Minister Pratap Sarnaik and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who addressed a rally in her support. In Sangli, the BJP took an early lead in the Zilla Parishad polls, securing 17 seats, in a closely contested race with the NCP, which also claimed 17 seats. The Congress put up a competitive performance, leading in eight seats as counting progressed. Dharashiv saw the Shiv Sena leading with 12 seats, closely matched by the BJP also with 12 seats. Other parties including Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress secured 5 and 4 seats respectively. Latur witnessed the BJP surging ahead with 16 seats in the Zilla Parishad polls, narrowly followed by the Congress with 15 seats. The NCP secured 10 seats, while Shiv Sena and independent candidates won two seats each. Smaller parties like the NCP (SP) and MNS garnered one seat each. Overall, out of the 12 Zilla Parishads, the BJP was leading in seven, Shiv Sena in three, and the NCP and Congress in one Zilla Parishad each. Parbhani Zilla Parishad elections saw a divided mandate, with BJP, Congress, Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP all registering wins across various constituencies.
Party Performance and Leads
As vote counting progressed, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demonstrated a strong performance across multiple districts. At one point, the BJP was leading in 145 out of the total 731 seats. Other significant leads included Shiv Sena with 85 seats, NCP with 80 seats, Congress with 30 seats, and Shiv Sena (UBT) with 21 seats. The Mahayuti alliance, led by the BJP, was reported to be ahead in 264 seats, with the BJP alone crossing the century mark in seat leads. Further updates indicated the Mahayuti ahead in 164 seats, comprising the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections. The counting for these elections, encompassing 12 Zilla Parishads and numerous Panchayat Samitis, began following a postponement from the originally scheduled February 5 date, which was adjusted due to the passing of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The election saw an overall turnout of 68.28 percent from approximately 2.08 crore voters. In the Panchayat Samiti elections for Pune, the NCP led in 72 out of 146 seats. Early trends also showed the NCP leading with 47 seats in Pune. Conversely, the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition was trailing overall, with Congress securing 24 seats and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena ahead in 16 seats.
