Image used for representational purposes only. | Photo credit: Biswaranjan Rout
Months ahead of the scheduled rural and urban local body elections in Odisha, the State Election Commission is set to conduct small-scale polls. In accordance with the legal provisions, elections to 24 newly established municipal bodies will probably take place in June.
State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) said it is mandatory to complete the election process within six months of the declaration of any urban area. Accordingly, elections to the 24 newly created municipal bodies will be conducted immediately, he said.
It may be noted that the Mohan Majhi government issued a notification on 31 December 2025 announcing 24 new Notified Area Councils (NACs) and Municipalities. The full rural and urban surveys will be held in 2027, with the terms of the existing bodies coming to an end.
Addressing a review meeting in Ganjam district, Mr. Padhi said that after the announcement of new municipal bodies, delimitation and reservation of civic bodies should be completed within 30 days and thereafter the state election commission would start the election process. The government was informed about the mandatory election to the newly created city civic bodies.
Published – 22 Jan 2026 01:08 IST
