The Uttar Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) has begun full preparations for the upcoming three-tier panchayat elections, scheduled to take place between April and July 2026. The commission has confirmed that the elections will be conducted on time, and only the finalisation of SC-ST reservation lists for wards, block panchayats, and district panchayats by the state government remains pending. Once the reservation process is completed, the SEC will immediately initiate the election procedure.
Election Preparations Underway
State Election Commissioner Raj Pratap Singh, in a video conference held on November 4, directed all District Election Officers (District Magistrates) to ensure that preparations in their respective districts are completed in time. He emphasised the importance of updating and purifying the voter lists, particularly the removal of duplicate voters and the inclusion of eligible new ones. Districts showing slow progress in voter list revision were given special instructions to expedite the process.
The SEC has already begun logistical groundwork for the elections, including the procurement of ballot paper. Officials revealed that over 75 crore ballot papers will be printed for the upcoming polls, using special multi-colored paper designed exclusively for ballot use. This early preparation signals that the election machinery is being set in motion well ahead of the 2026 polls.
A look back at the 2021 panchayat elections shows that voting was held in four phases from April 15 to April 29, 2021. However, due to the devastating second wave of COVID-19, several polling staff members lost their lives, forcing the postponement of block chief and district panchayat chairperson elections, which were later held in July 2021.
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Increased Expenditure and Deposit Limits for Candidates
In a significant update, the State Election Commission has revised and increased the permissible expenditure limits for candidates contesting the 2026 panchayat elections—nearly doubling the caps set during the 2021 elections. The move comes amid long-standing concerns that the official limits are unrealistically low compared to actual election spending on the ground.
Under the new guidelines:
- District Panchayat Chairperson candidates can now spend up to ₹7 lakh, up from ₹4 lakh in 2021.
- Block Panchayat Chairperson candidates’ expenditure limit has been raised to ₹3.5 lakh.
- District Panchayat Member candidates’ limit has increased from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh.
- Gram Pradhan (Village Head) candidates can now spend ₹1.25 lakh, compared to the earlier limit of ₹75,000.
- The spending limit for Block Panchayat Members remains unchanged at ₹1 lakh.
The SEC has also raised the application and security deposit fees for candidates, aligning them with the increased expenditure caps.
Money Power and Electoral Challenges
Despite these revisions, experts point out that actual election expenses far exceed the official limits. In reality, candidates for district panchayat chairperson positions reportedly spend anywhere between ₹10 crore to ₹15 crore, leveraging financial influence to secure support from members. Reports suggest that district panchayat members’ votes can fetch between ₹50 lakh and ₹1 crore each in some regions. Similarly, candidates for block panchayat chairperson seats often spend ₹3 crore to ₹5 crore.
Such trends underline the prevalence of money power in local body elections, raising questions about the effectiveness of expenditure regulations. Nevertheless, the SEC’s move to raise spending and fee limits represents an attempt to balance transparency with practicality while ensuring a more level playing field in the 2026 panchayat polls.
