Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): After months of postponements, Punjab has finally set December 14 as the date for elections to Zila Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, clearing the way for rural local bodies to be reconstituted. Votes will be counted on December 17, according to the schedule issued on Thursday by State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari. The announcement triggered the immediate enforcement of the model code of conduct across the state.
The polls—spanning 23 Zila Parishads and 154 Panchayat Samitis—will involve nearly 1.36 crore eligible voters. Officials said more than 19,000 polling stations will be established, with 915 classified as “hyper-sensitive” and over 3,500 designated as “sensitive.” Chaudhari said the state will deploy IAS officers, members of the 2010 PCS batch, and SP-rank police officers as observers to ensure peaceful voting.
Half of all seats have been earmarked for women, and political parties are set to contest using their official symbols, giving the election considerable political weight. With Assembly elections just 14 months away, parties are viewing the rural body polls as an opportunity to gauge public sentiment ahead of the larger showdown.
A Poll Cycle Marked by Delays
These elections were originally scheduled for May but were pushed back repeatedly—first to October and then to December—after widespread flooding in August and September disrupted preparations across multiple districts. State officials said the new timeline reflects the first window in which the administrative machinery is fully ready to conduct the exercise.
Candidates can file nominations from December 1 to 4. Scrutiny of papers will take place on December 5, and those wishing to withdraw from the contest must do so by December 6. Nomination fees have been fixed at ₹400 for Zila Parishad candidates and ₹200 for those contesting Panchayat Samiti seats.
With the long-pending elections now on the calendar, political activity in Punjab’s rural belt is expected to intensify quickly as parties mobilise cadres, finalise candidate lists, and attempt to gain early momentum before the 2026 Assembly polls.
