Odisha Panchayat Elections likely to be delayed, to be held in April–May
The Odisha Panchayat elections are likely to be postponed, with SEC planning to release the election notification only after the 2027 Census
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Panchayat elections are likely to be postponed, with the State Election Commission (SEC) planning to release the election notification only after the 2027 Census is completed.
The notification for the polls is expected to be issued in April 2027, once the census exercise concludes.
“There will be a slight delay as the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process is currently underway in the state, holding the election, until this work is completed. The process will continue until the first week of March 2027, and the election will be concluded between April and May. The Panchayat election will be held within 45 days of the notification being issued,” informed Santosh Kumar Dash, Secretary to the State Election Commission.
The Commission has already held discussions with Revenue Divisional Commissioners (RDCs) and District Collectors. A review meeting with district officials will be held via video conferencing on July 21 to check the progress of the election-related preparations.
In a first, the State Election Commission will also undertake a door-to-door survey ahead of the elections to make the electoral process more efficient. Along with this, a booth-wise survey will be conducted to detect errors in the voter lists.
Meanwhile, preliminary preparations have begun for the three-tier Panchayat and municipal elections scheduled to be held in the state in 2027. An important video conference, chaired by the State Election Commissioner, is scheduled for the 21st of this month. The Office of the State Election Commission has informed all District Collectors and District Magistrates about this via a letter.
