The Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) has embarked on a mission to address vacancies in the three-tier Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), which were left unfilled during the last election.
By-elections for 1,134 vacant positions—including zilla parishad members, panchayat samiti members, sarpanches, and ward members—are underway. Additionally, fresh polls will occur in 771 wards where no nominations were filed for reserved categories.
The district collectors have de-reserved these wards to facilitate the upcoming elections. This move comes after the SEC announced updates to the electoral rolls, beginning April 17, with final publications scheduled for May 6. The process aims to strengthen grassroots governance in Odisha, ensuring democratic representation across all PRIs.
