Parties Begin Groundwork for ZP, Panchayat Polls

Nagpur: With the Supreme Court's directive to issue notifications for Zilla Parishad (ZP) and Panchayat Samiti (PS) elections within four weeks and conduct polls within four months, political parties in Nagpur district have started gearing up for a high-stakes rural electoral battle.The decision ends months of political and administrative vacuum that began after the dissolution of the Congress-led ZP body on January 18, 2025. Polls were delayed due to the pending issue of OBC reservations, which the apex court has now cleared with conditions, allowing the democratic process to resume.Congress' former ZP Vice President Kunda Raut confirmed the party's readiness while also indicating that senior leaders would take the final call on strategy. "The senior office-bearers from the party will take decision regarding the election strategy, whereas as far as rural is concerned, it is Sunil Kedar who will lead with charge," she said. Taking a swipe at the BJP, Raut added, "Though BJP won the legislative assembly, which they claimed happened due to Ladki Bahin, now many of them have been abandoned, and even those left are unsure of payments. We are definitely ready for the elections, but seat sharing and strategy is up to the seniors, for which they will also engage with the ground workers."On the BJP side, former MLA Sudhakar Kohale expressed full preparedness. "We are definitely ready for the local poll elections. We have already decided the mandal president and booth presidents. We are ready from scratch. So even if the elections are tomorrow, we are open and ready for that as well," he said.The political atmosphere is expected to intensify in the coming weeks, with party workers mobilising at the ground level. While the Congress eyes a comeback, banking on rural discontent and organisational strength, the BJP is hoping to carry forward its momentum from the assembly elections. Sources have said that both the alliance MVA and Mahayuti might fight the local polls individually, but the actual scenario will unfold soon.With both major parties claiming readiness and the countdown officially underway, Nagpur district is set to witness a fiercely contested rural election season. The coming weeks will be crucial as strategies are finalised, alliances are negotiated, and candidates begin their outreach to a rural electorate waiting for elected representation after months under administrative control.