Punjab Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Elections Announced: Voting on 14 Dec, Results on 17 Dec

November 28, 2025

Amritsar: The State Election Commission is holding a press conference regarding the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in Punjab. The commission stated that voting will be conducted using ballot papers, and 50% of the total seats will be reserved for women. 19,181 polling booths will be set up across the state.

Voting will be held on 14 December (Sunday) from early morning 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and results will be declared on 17 December (Wednesday).

Candidates can file nominations from 1 December to 4 December till 3:00 pm.

6 December is the last date of withdrawal.

The election official said that two separate ballot boxes will be placed at each polling booth for the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti. Elections will not be conducted using EVMs, as this requires 40,000 EVMs, and the machines available with the Election Commission are not issued to any state.

In Punjab, every district has a Zila Parishad, which has a total of 357 zones, with one member elected from each zone. Similarly, 15 to 25 zones are created within the state’s 154 Panchayat Samitis, totaling 2,863. One member will be elected from each zone. The number of voters in rural areas is 13.6 million and 4 thousand.

Candidate eligibility, fees, and nomination process

It is required that a candidate must be at least 21 years old and a voter in the zone they are contesting from. Both the proposer and seconder must also be residents of the same zone.

Candidates must fill out Form No. 4 for nomination. The nomination fee for Zila Parishad elections is ₹400 and for Panchayat Samiti elections, ₹200. If a candidate belongs to the SC or SC category, their fee will be halved. If any official demands a higher fee, a complaint can be filed directly with the Election Commission.

Candidates must submit a self-declaration form, which includes details of income, liabilities, ongoing court cases, and other personal details. SC and VC category candidates must also submit their relevant certificates.

Expenditure limit of candidates:

In this election, candidates will be able to contest elections independently, whereas earlier this facility was not available. Apart from this, they can also contest elections by taking sponsorship from six political parties, for which the candidate will have to submit the sponsorship form. The maximum expenditure limit for Zila Parishad elections has been fixed at Rs 2 lakh 55 thousand and for Panchayat Samiti elections at Rs 1 lakh 10 thousand. Expenditure beyond this will not be allowed.