The elections for 13,327 panchayats in the state will be held on October 15, as announced by State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary on Wednesday. Nominations for these elections can be filed from September 27 to October 4, with a total of 19,110 polling booths being set up for voters.
The expenditure limits for candidates have been set at Rs 40,000 for sarpanches and Rs 30,000 for panch. This election will see changes in the reservation system due to amendments made by the AAP government to the Punjab Panchayati Raj Act, 1994. Instead of using districts as units to determine reservation for SC sarpanches, blocks will now be considered for the roster.
This revised system will affect which villages receive SC sarpanch reservations. The previous panchayat elections in 2018 had used the district-based system. Additionally, reservation for sarpanches is being done based on the 2011 census report, and the practice of reserving 50% of wards for women, introduced during the Congress regime from 2017 to 2022, will continue. This reservation will apply to both reserved and general sarpanch seats.
The poll process will begin within two days after the district administration finalises the roster for reservations. The State Election Commission will then announce the schedule, prepare voter and supplementary lists, and prepare the ballot papers.
