Election Commission schedules Maharashtra Legislative Council polls for 17 seats

The Election Commission of India has announced elections for 17 seats in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, ending a prolonged period of vacancies. Polling for all seats is scheduled for June 18, with the counting of votes to follow on June 22.

The elections consist of a by-election for the Nagpur Local Authorities Constituency and biennial polls for 16 other seats across the state. The Nagpur seat became vacant when its previous occupant, Chandrashekhar Krishnaraoji Bawankule, resigned on November 23, 2024, following his election to the state legislative assembly.

Elections for the 16 other seats had been delayed for years, with the terms of the previous members expiring between January 2022 and August 2025. According to the Election Commission, a constitutional requirement stipulates that such polls can only be held when at least 75 percent of local bodies in a constituency are functional and at least 75 percent of electors are in position. Officials stated that these criteria were not met until recently, when the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra confirmed the conditions had been fulfilled in all 16 constituencies.

The affected constituencies include Solapur,...