Odisha Panchayat Elections Likely in Jan–Feb Next Year: State Election Commissioner

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) on Saturday indicated that elections to panchayat institutions across the state are likely to be held in January and February next year, as the tenure of the existing rural local bodies is set to expire.

Addressing media persons here, State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi said fresh elections would be mandatory to reconstitute panchayat bodies in accordance with constitutional provisions. He added that preparatory measures are already underway, with the Commission holding a series of review meetings to finalise the roadmap for the upcoming panchayat and urban local body elections.

Padhi said a comprehensive door-to-door voter survey would be undertaken for both panchayat and municipal polls to ensure accuracy and updation of electoral rolls. The exercise is expected to be completed by March this year, though he cautioned that the timeline could be extended by about a month due to the ongoing census-related activities.

Clarifying concerns, the State Election Commissioner stressed that the proposed voter survey is independent of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. “This survey has no linkage with SIR,” he said, adding that booth reorganisation may be carried out wherever necessary to enhance voter convenience and accessibility.

“The primary objective is to ensure that polling stations are located as close as possible to voters’ residences, particularly in rural and remote areas,” Padhi said.

He further informed that the SEC has begun consultations with district administrations to assess logistical preparedness. Meetings are being held with district collectors, sub-collectors, deputy collectors, district panchayat officers and municipal commissioners to streamline coordination and address operational challenges. The first such meeting was held in Sambalpur on January 13, while the next is scheduled to take place in Chatrapur on January 20.

According to political analysts, the SEC’s announcement signalled the formal commencement of the election preparedness process, with officials focusing on voter roll accuracy, polling infrastructure and administrative coordination to ensure smooth conduct of the local body elections across Odisha.