Odisha to conduct polls for 24 new civic bodies in June end

Months ahead of the scheduled rural and urban local body elections in Odisha, the State Election Commission is set to conduct polls on a smaller scale. In accordance with legal provisions, elections to 24 newly constituted urban local bodies are likely to be held in June.

State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) said it was mandatory to complete the electoral process within six months of the declaration of any municipal area. Accordingly, elections to the 24 newly formed urban bodies would be conducted immediately, he said.

It is to be noted that the Mohan Majhi Government had issued notifications on December 31, 2025, declaring 24 new Notified Area Councils (NACs) and municipalities. The full-scale rural and urban polls will be held in 2027 with tenure of existing bodies coming to end.

Mr. Padhi, while conducting a review meeting in Ganjam district, said that after declaration of new urban bodies, the delimitation and reservation of civic bodies should be completed within 30 days and subsequently the State Election Commission would begin the electoral process. The State government has been informed about obligatory election in newly formed urban civic bodies.