State Election Commission Postpones Panchayat By-Elections Due to Early Monsoon

Bhubaneswar: The State Election Commission has withdrawn the notification for the panchayat by-elections, announced just a day earlier, citing the early arrival of the monsoon.

The decision was made to avoid disruptions in the polling process and inconvenience to voters due to anticipated heavy rainfall.

The notification, issued on June 20, outlined by-elections for 1,043 Ward Member seats, 43 Sarpanch seats, 40 Panchayat Samiti Member seats, and 5 Zilla Parishad Member seats, with polling originally set for May 22 to June 25, 2025.

Following input from District Officials, the public, and prospective candidates, the Commission consulted the India Meteorological Department’s Bhubaneswar office. Based on the IMD’s forecast of an early monsoon, the by-elections have been deferred until the monsoon season concludes, the Commission said.