After months of delays, the long-pending Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Punjab will finally be held on December 14, with counting scheduled for December 17. The announcement from the State Election Commission on Friday has brought the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) into immediate effect across the state.
State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari said that nearly 1.36 crore voters will participate in these elections, which will decide representatives for 23 Zila Parishads and 154 Panchayat Samitis. As many as 50% of the seats are reserved for women, and all political parties will contest the polls on their own election symbols.
A Crucial Poll Ahead of Assembly Elections
With the Assembly elections just 14 months away, political observers say these polls will serve as a crucial litmus test for all major political parties. The outcome is expected to reflect public sentiment ahead of the bigger electoral battle in 2026.
Security Tightened Across Sensitive Areas
Chaudhari announced that the SEC has identified 915 hyper-sensitive and 3,582 sensitive polling locations. To ensure smooth conduct of the elections, the Commission will deploy IAS officers and 2010-batch PCS officers as Election Observers, while SP-rank police officers will function as Police Observers.
A total of 19,181 polling booths will be set up.
Nomination fee for Zila Parishad candidates: ₹400
Nomination fee for Panchayat Samiti candidates: ₹200
Timeline for Nominations
Filing of nominations: December 1–4
Scrutiny of papers: December 5
Withdrawal deadline: December 6
Delays Due to Floods and Administrative Hurdles
The elections were originally due in May, but were repeatedly postponed—first due to administrative delays, and later because of the devastating floods that hit several districts in August and September. The elections were initially pushed to October, and then deferred again to December as the state recovered from flood-related disruptions.
With the schedule now in place and preparations in full swing, the State Election Commission has assured citizens that all necessary arrangements will be made to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections throughout Punjab.