15,000 gram pachayats will go to polls this year: State EC

Prohibition orders will be declared in an entire taluka if more than 50 per cent gram panchayats go to polls on a single day, State Election Commissioner said in view of the gram panchayat elections to be held this year in Maharashtra.
Instructions in this connection were issued to authorities concerned by state Election Commissioner J S Saharia at a meeting held here to discuss preparations for the upcoming gram panchayat elections.
Around 15,000 gram panchayats will go to polls in 2015. Apart from polls the gram panchayats polls, elections will be held in Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad, Vasai Virar, Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporations, eight nagar parishads, 139 newly created nagar panchayats, Bhandara and Gondia zilla parishads and 15 panchayat samitis during the year, Saharia said.

Thane zilla parishad by elections are also scheduled during the year.
As per rules, in a taluka, if elections are held in less than 50 per cent gram panchayats, prohibition orders are enforced only in the particular gram panchayat jurisdiction.