Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh)— The Haryana State Election Commission has announced the schedule for Municipal and Panchayati Raj elections across the state, with polling slated for May 10. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into immediate effect in all areas going to polls.
State Election Commissioner Devinder Singh Kalyan said the elections will cover major urban local bodies as well as rural institutions, alongside by-elections for 528 vacant posts.
General elections will be conducted for Mayors and Councillors in Municipal Corporations of Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat. Polls will also be held for the President and ward members in the Rewari Municipal Council and Municipal Committees of Sampla, Dharuhera and Uklana.
Additionally, by-elections will take place for six ward member seats in municipal bodies of Tohana, Jhajjar, Rajound, Tarawadi, Kanina and Sadhaura.
In the rural segment, elections will be conducted in selected Gram Panchayats across Hisar and Kaithal districts. Bypolls will also be held for 528 posts, including Panch, Sarpanch, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad members.
The Commission has released a detailed timeline, with notifications to be issued on April 15, nomination filing from April 21 to 25, scrutiny on April 27 and withdrawal by April 28. Voting will take place on May 10 between 8 am and 6 pm, while counting for Panchayats will be held on May 12 and municipal bodies on May 13.
Spending limits have been fixed at ₹30 lakh for mayoral candidates and ₹7.5 lakh for municipal members. For Panchayati Raj institutions, candidates can spend up to ₹2 lakh for Sarpanch posts and ₹6 lakh for Zila Parishad members. All candidates are required to submit expenditure details within 30 days of the results.
The Commission has mandated that candidates with criminal backgrounds must publicly disclose their cases through newspapers and local television channels. Voting will be conducted using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), with the NOTA option available for voters.
To ensure free and fair elections, authorities have planned extensive security deployment and the appointment of senior observers. Voter slips will also be distributed door-to-door ahead of polling.
The Commission has urged citizens to participate actively and exercise their democratic rights without fear or discrimination.
