Maharashtra's New Move: Extended Deadline for Caste Validity in Local Elections

The Maharashtra government has introduced significant changes to election regulations, granting candidates vying for reserved seats in local bodies an extended six months to provide caste validity certificates. This strategic shift comes following legal amendments to pivotal pieces of legislation, officials confirmed.

Amendments were given the nod by the state cabinet and will impact the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888; Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, 1949; and Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats, and Industrial Towns Act, 1965. An official release noted that ordinances needed to implement these changes are set for approval by the Governor.

The move doesn't stop there. The government plans to introduce comparable measures for rural local bodies as governed by the Maharashtra Gram Panchayat Act (1959) and Maharashtra Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Act, 1969. These efforts form part of a broader initiative to streamline the compliance burden on candidates across the state.