Maharashtra: 1,704 nominations received for 2nd phase of Municipal Council polls

Mumbai: As many as 1,704 nominations have been received for the second phase of polling for 14 municipal councils in Pune and Latur districts of Maharashtra.

The elections are scheduled on December 14.

In the second phase, there are 10 local bodies in Pune and four in Latur district where polls will be held, State Election Commissioner J S Saharia said.

In all the 14 poll-bound local bodies, 162 nominations were received for the post of Municipal Council President. The last date of withdrawal of nominations is December 1.

In the first phase, 70 per cent nominations and affidavits were received online while for the second phase it was 100 per cent, he said.

"Lack of connectivity and power shortage in remote areas was one of the reasons why candidates could not file their papers online. But the commission set up help desks due to which the online filing of forms was easier for the candidates," he said.

Meanwhile, 50 gram panchayats in different districts will also go to polls on December 28. Nominations will be received between December 6 and 13.

Scrutiny of papers will be done on December 14 and last date of withdrawal is December 16. On the same day, election symbols will be distributed to candidates.

Counting of votes will be taken up on December 28, after the polling is over.

In Thane district, there are five gram panchayats, which will go to polls while in Palghar district there are three gram panchayats; Raigad, Ratnagiri, Ahmednagar, Nandurbar, Aurangabad, Beed and Gadchoroli one each; Solapur, Nanded, Amravati, Buldhana and Wardha two each; Bhandara, Dhule and Yavatmal 3 each; Pune 6, and Nashik 10.