Photo Courtesy: nenow
Imphal: The Manipur Cabinet has officially scheduled the 6th General Elections for Panchayats to take place on October 1, 2026. This move follows a three-year hiatus in local governance, as the previous term ended in 2022 and subsequent polls were postponed due to the state's challenging law and order situation.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Commissioner Sumant Singh released the official timeline following the Cabinet decision. The formal election notification is set for August 21, followed by a nomination deadline of August 28. Officials will conduct nomination scrutiny on August 29, and candidates have until September 1 to withdraw from the race. If necessary, authorities will hold re-polling on October 5, with the final vote count scheduled for October 8.
These elections cover the two-tier structure of Gram Panchayats and Zilla Parishads across the valley districts of Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Kakching, and Bishnupur. Local governance has been managed by administrative committees since the 2023 deferment. The state government moved to finalize these dates after the High Court of Manipur issued a directive to conduct the elections as soon as possible.
Regarding the upcoming electoral process, Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh expressed his administration's focus on local stability. In a statement on X, Singh noted that his government remains committed to ensuring “effective, transparent and people-centric governance for the welfare and development of Manipur.”
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