Jharkhand Announces Municipal Elections: Voting On February 23, Counting On February 27
Over 43 lakh voters will elect mayors and ward councillors in municipal polls, with Model Code of Conduct already enforced, nominations starting January 29.
Published : January 27, 2026 at 5:38 PM IST
Ranchi: After prolonged delays, municipal body elections have finally been announced in Jharkhand. Polling will be held on February 23, and voting will be counted on February 27.
State Election Commissioner Alka Tiwari, while making the announcement, said the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has come into force in urban local body areas from today with the start of the election process. Nominations will begin on January 29 and continue until February 4.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted on February 5, while withdrawals will be allowed on February 6. Election symbols will be allotted on February 7. The elections will be held on a non-party basis.
A total of 43,33,574 eligible voters are expected: 22,07,203 male voters, 21,26,227 female voters, and 144 third-gender voters. Together, these numbers form the total voter base. Voters will cast ballots for Mayor and Ward Councillor. Pink ballot papers will be used for the Mayor’s election and white ballot papers for councillors.
Urban Local Bodies Where Elections Will Be Held
- Municipal Corporations: Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Medininagar, Dhanbad, Giridih, Deoghar, Chas, Adityapur, Mango.
- Municipal Councils: Garhwa, Vishrampur, Chaibasa, Jhumri Tilaiya, Chakradharpur, Chatra, Chirkunda, Dumka, Pakur, Godda, Gumla, Jugsalai, Kapali, Lohardaga, Simdega, Madhupur, Ramgarh, Sahibganj, Phusro, Mihijam.
- Nagar Panchayats: Banshidhar Nagar, Majhianv, Hussainabad, Hariharganj, Chhatarpur, Latehar, Koderma, Domchanch, Barkisaria, Dhanwar, Mahagama, Rajmahal, Barharwa, Basukinath, Jamtara, Bundu, Khunti, Seraikela, Chakulia.
Polling In 48 Urban Bodies On A Single Day
Jharkhand has 48 urban local bodies, including nine municipal corporations, 20 municipal councils and 19 nagar panchayats, where voting will be conducted on a single day using ballot papers. Elections in 13 of these bodies have been pending since 2020, while polls in Ranchi and other civic bodies have been pending since 2022.
The State Election Commissioner said voting will take place in 1,087 wards across 4,304 booths. NOTA will not be used, making voting compulsory. Apart from voter ID cards issued by the Election Commission of India, 12 other government and non-government photo identity documents will also be accepted for voter identification.
Security Arrangements
Adequate security forces will be deployed to maintain law and order during polling, and strict vigilance will be maintained at counting centres. General and expenditure observers have been appointed to monitor the election process. Since voting will be conducted through ballot papers, sufficient ballot boxes have been provided to the districts.
Tiwari said all officials and employees engaged in election duty are expected to perform their responsibilities impartially and fearlessly. Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty of misconduct.
For areas with a population of over 10 lakh, the maximum expenditure limit for Mayor/Chairperson candidates is Rs 25 lakh, while ward councillor candidates can spend up to Rs 5 lakh. In areas with populations below 10 lakh, the limit is Rs 15 lakh for Mayor/Chairperson candidates and Rs 3 lakh for ward councillors.
Urban Development Secretary Sunil Kumar, Commission Secretary Radheshyam Prasad, and several other officials were present during the official announcement.
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