Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Division of District into electrol divisions.— (1) 5[The State Election Commission shall, for the purposes of election of Councillors divide every District] into electoral divisions (the territorial extent of any such division not being out side the limits of the same Block), each returning one Councillor, and there shall be a separate election for each electoral division : 6[Provided that, such electoral division shall be divided in such a manner that the ratio between the population of each electoral division and the total number of Councillors to be elected for the Zilla Parishad shall, so far as practicable, be the same through out the Zilla Parishad area:] 7[Provided further that, while distributing such electoral divisions among the Panchayat Samitis, not less than two electoral divisions shall be allotted to each Panchayat Samiti.] 8[(2)(a) In the seats to be filled in by election in a Zilla Parishad there shall be seats reserved for persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Class of citizens and women, as may be determined by the State Election Commission in the prescribed manner; (b) the seats to be reserved for the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in a Zilla Parishad shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the 1 Section 10A was inserted by Mah. 20 of 2005, s. 5. 2 This portion was substituted for the portion beginning with the words “on such date” and ending with the word and figure “section 9” by Mah. 21 of 1994, s. 36(1)(a). 3 The proviso was deleted by Mah. 21 of 1994, s. 36(1)(b). 4 Sub-section (3) was deleted by Mah. 21 of 1994, s. 36(2). 5 This portion was substituted for the portion beginning with the words “For the” and ending with the word “divided” by Mah. 21 of 1994, s. 37(1)(a). 6 This proviso was added by Mah. 21 of 1994, s. 37(1)(b). 7 This proviso was added by Mah. 4 of 2002, s. 3, w.e.f. 31-10-2001. 8 These sub-sections were substituted for sub-sections (2), (2A), (3) and (4) by Mah. 21 of 1994, s. 37(2). 1962 : Mah. V] The Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat 33 Samitis Act, 1961 total number of seats to be filled in by direct election in that Zilla Parishad as the population of the Scheduled Castes or as the case may be the Scheduled Tribes in that Zilla Parsishad area bears to the total population of that area and such seats shall be allotted by rotation to different electoral division in a Zilla Parishad:] 1[Provided that, in a Zilla Parishad comprising entirely the Scheduled Areas, the seats to be reserved for the Scheduled Tribes shall not be less than one half of the total number of seats in the Zilla Parishad: Provided further that, the reservation for the Scheduled Tribes in a Zilla Parishad falling only partially in the Scheduled Areas shall be in accordance with the provision of clause (b):] 2[Provided also that] 3[one-half of the total number of seats] so reserved shall be reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes or, as the case may be, the Scheduled Tribes; (c) the seats to be reserved for persons belonging to the category of Backward Class of citizens shall be 27 per cent. of the total number of seats to be filled in by election in a Zilla Parishad and such seats shall be allotted by rotation to different electoral divisions in a Zilla Parishad : 4[Provided that, in a Zilla Parishad comprising entirely the Scheduled Areas, the seats to be reserved for the persons belonging to the Backward Class of citizens shall be 27 per cent. of the seats remaining (if any), after reservation of the seats for the Scheduled Tribes and the Scheduled Castes : Provided further that, the reservation for the persons belonging to the Backward Class of citizens in a Zilla Parishad falling only partially in the Scheduled Areas shall be in accordance with the provisions of clause (c)] : 5[Provided also that] 6[one-half of the total number of seats] so reserved shall be reserved for women belonging to the category of Backward Class of citizens; (d) 7[one-half] (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the category of Backward Class of citizens) of the total number of seats to be filled in by direct election in a Zilla Parishad shall be reserved for women and such seats shall be allotted by rotation to different electoral divisions in a Zilla Parishad. (3) The reservation of seats (other than the reservation for women) under sub-section (2) shall cease to have effect on the expiration of the period, specified in article 334 of the Constitution of lndia. 8[12A. Person contesting election for reserved seat to submit Caste Certificate and Validity Certificate.— Every person desirous of contesting election to a seat reserved for Schedule Castes, Schedule Tribes or, as the case may be, Backward Class of citizens, shall be required to submit, alongwith the nomination papers. Caste Certificate issued by the Competent Authority and the Validity Certificate issued by the Scrutiny Committee in accordance with the provisions of the Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, De-notified Tribes (Vimukta Jatis), Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate Act, 2000 (Mah. XXIII of 2001)]. 9[Provided that, a person who has applied to the Scrutiny Committee for verification of his Caste Certificate before the date of filing of the nomination papers, but who has not received the Validity 1 These provisos were inserted by Mah. 20 of 1997, s. 3(a)(i). 2 These words were substituted for the words “Provided that” by Mah. 20 of 1997, s. 3(a)(ii). 3 These words were substituted for the words “one-third of the total number of seats” by Mah. 19 of 2011, s. 4(a). 4 These provisos were inserted by Mah. 20 of 1997, s. 3(b)(i). 5 These provisos were inserted by Mah. 20 of 1997, s. 3(b)(i). 6 These words were substituted for the words “one-third of the total number of seats” by Mah. 19 of 2011, s. 4(b). 7 These words were substituted for the words “one-third” by Mah. 19 of 2011, s. 4(c). 8 Section 12A was inserted by Mah. 37 of 2006, s. 5. 9 These provisos were substituted by Mah. 48 of 2025, s. 4. 34 The Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat [1962 : Mah. V Samitis Act, 1961 Certificate on the date of filing of the nomination papers shall submit, alongwith the nomination papers,— (i) a true copy of the application submitted by him to the Scrutiny Committee for issuance of the Validity Certificate or any other proof of having made such application to the Scrutiny Committee; and (ii) an undertaking that he shall submit the Validity Certificate issued by the Scrutiny Committee, within a period of six months from the date on which he is declared elected : Provided further that, if such person fails to produce the Validity Certificate within a period of six months from the date on which he is declared elected, his election shall be deemed to have been terminated retrospectively and he shall be disqualified for being a Councillor.]