Just one day before voting, the State Election Commission (SEC) suspended polls in several areas across Maharashtra, affecting elections to municipal councils and nagar panchayats in 12 districts. The move has upset both the ruling party and the Opposition, and these polls will now be held on December 20. According to SEC sources, the decision taken is as per the rules.

Though the detailed reasons for the postponement have not been made clear, those in the SEC office cited legal cases, scrutiny of nominations, and the failure to follow the verification and symbol process as per the standard operating procedure as key reasons for deferring the polls.