Counting underway for ZP, Panchayat Samiti polls in Maharashtra

Counting of votes for elections to 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis in Maharashtra began on Monday morning amid tight security arrangements.The elections, originally scheduled to be held on February 5, were conducted on February 7 after being postponed following the death of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash and the subsequent three days of state mourning.
According to election officials, a total of 731 members are to be elected across the 12 Zilla Parishads, while 1,462 members will be chosen for the 125 Panchayat Samitis. Counting centres have been set up across districts, with officials expecting trends to emerge by the afternoon.The 12 Zilla Parishads, which fall well within the 50 per cent reservation limit, include Pune, Satara, Sangli, Solapur and Kolhapur in Western Maharashtra; Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in the Konkan region; and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Parbhani, Dharashiv and Latur in Marathwada.
The polls are being closely watched as they are seen as a key indicator of political equations at the grassroots level in the state. Major political parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), contested the elections together under the clock symbol.Authorities said adequate police force has been deployed at counting centres to ensure a smooth and peaceful process. Final results are expected to be declared later in the day.