Chandigarh, Feb. 14 -- Punjab, which has witnessed a relentless election cycle over the past year, is gearing up for another round of polls - this time for the Zila Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections. As per a notification issued by the State Election Commission on Thursday, these elections must be conducted by May 31. While an exact date is yet to be finalized, sources suggested that the elections will be scheduled after the wheat harvest concludes in late April to prevent any disruption in the crucial agricultural cycle.
The previous elections for these rural bodies were conducted in September 2018, making the upcoming polls long overdue. Punjab has 23 Zila Parishads and 153 Panchayat Samitis, which form the backbone of local govern...