The bench made its stance clear on one key issue. It told the State Election Commission (SEC) to respect the 50% reservation cap in regions where the limit has not been crossed. The judges stressed that the cap cannot be violated under any circumstances. They also said that the results of these elections will depend on the final ruling in the ongoing case related to reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Maharashtra has seen a long delay in civic polls. The last BMC election took place in 2017, and the five-year term of the 227 corporators ended in 2022. Since then, India’s richest civic body has been run by an administrator. The Supreme Court’s fresh order now pushes the state to complete the election process without further delay.

The ruling covers major municipal corporations like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, and Mira Bhayandar. These bodies will also go to polls before the deadline. The SEC is now expected to fast-track ward formation, voter lists, and candidate procedures.

Political parties have already geared up for a tense contest. The BMC election holds special importance because of its large budget and political influence. With the Supreme Court’s firm directions, Maharashtra is finally set to witness long-pending civic elections under strict reservation norms and judicial supervision.

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Assam will vote for 126 seats, Kerala for 140, Tamil Nadu for 234, West Bengal for 294, and Puducherry for 30 seats. Several states will also host by-elections. Goa’s Ponda seat, Karnataka’s Bagalkot seat, and Maharashtra’s Rahuri seat will go to the polls after the deaths of their sitting MLAs. Manipur’s Tadubi seat and Nagaland’s Koridang seat will also elect new representatives.

Local elections add to the packed calendar. Maharashtra will hold polls for 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats on December 2, with counting on December 3. Kerala will vote for its local bodies on December 9 and 11. Mizoram will elect members to the Lai Autonomous District Council on December 3. Arunachal Pradesh’s Itanagar Municipal Corporation will vote on December 15.

India now enters a long election phase that stretches into early 2026. Parties across the country are preparing their strategies.

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