Fri Sep 19 21:47:29 UTC 2025: **Summary of the Text:**
The Bombay High Court’s Aurangabad Bench dismissed petitions challenging ward formations for upcoming Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Maharashtra. The court cited constitutional restrictions against interfering in ward formation, particularly after the election process has begun, unless due process was ignored. The court found that objections to ward formations were properly heard and addressed. The decision aligns with the Supreme Court’s directive to complete local body elections within four months, emphasizing the importance of local self-governance.
**News Article:**
**Maharashtra Local Elections to Proceed as Court Dismisses Ward Formation Challenges**
**Mumbai, September 20, 2025** – The Bombay High Court’s Aurangabad Bench has cleared the path for long-delayed Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Maharashtra by dismissing petitions challenging the final notifications for ward formations. The court ruled on Friday (September 19, 2025) that intervening at this stage would disrupt the election process, which the Supreme Court has mandated to be completed within four months.
A division bench of Justices Manish Pitale and Y.G. Khobragade issued a common judgment rejecting petitions filed by individuals from multiple districts, including Hingoli, Ahilyanagar, Nanded, Beed, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Petitioners argued that ward formations were arbitrary and that their objections were ignored.
The court cited Article 243-O of the Constitution, which restricts judicial interference in ward formation matters once the election process has commenced. The judges emphasized that due process was followed, as draft notifications were published, objections were invited, hearings were conducted, and detailed reasons were recorded before finalising ward boundaries.
Furthermore, the court referenced the Supreme Court’s May 6th order, prioritizing the completion of local body elections and the restoration of OBC reservations to pre-2022 levels. The Bench stressed the urgency of the polls, stating that any interference would derail the process of elections to local bodies in the State of Maharashtra and highlighted the importance of fulfilling the constitutional mandate of local self-governance.
The dismissal of the petitions paves the way for the State Election Commission to proceed with notifying and conducting the Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections across Maharashtra.
First Piper 