Argus News - Odisha SEC Begins Preparations for PRI, ULB Polls

Bhubaneswar, Jan 21: The State Election Commission (SEC), Odisha, has initiated preparations for the upcoming elections to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), scheduled for 2027. The exercise also includes arrangements for polls to 28 newly created ULBs across the state, officials said on Wednesday.

Santosh Kumar Dash, Secretary of the SEC, Odisha, said on Wednesday that elections to PRIs and ULBs are mandated every five years under the Panchayat Rules and Municipal Acts. Since the last round of elections was held in 2022, the next cycle is due in 2027.

Dash explained that the election process involves two critical components — preparation of electoral rolls and conduct of polls. To begin the process, the Commission has sought the latest revised electoral rolls from the Election Commission of India (ECI) through the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). These rolls will be split into ward-wise and booth-wise lists for both rural and urban areas.

A door-to-door verification drive is currently underway across all Panchayats and municipal wards to sanitise and update voter lists. Booth Level Officers (BLOs), aided by dedicated software, are identifying errors to ensure inclusion of eligible voters and removal of duplicate or incorrect entries. “This survey is expected to take three to four months and constitutes nearly 50 to 60 per cent of the overall election preparation process,” Dash said.

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The SEC has also conducted review meetings with district administrations to ensure readiness. Collector-level conferences were held earlier this month in Sambalpur, Cuttack, and Chhatrapur, covering the Northern, Central, and Southern divisions. Collectors, Additional District Magistrates, Sub-Collectors, and Revenue Divisional Commissioners have been sensitised on logistics, manpower deployment, and administrative coordination.

On the newly created ULBs, Dash noted that municipal rules require elections within six months of notification. Since 28 new ULBs were notified on December 31, 2025, elections must be completed by June 30, 2026, with elected bodies in place by then.

“The Commission is fully prepared to ensure free, fair and transparent elections across rural and urban Odisha,” Dash said.