Following the recommendations of the Jhaveri Commission, the Gujarat government increased the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation in local bodies from 10 per cent to 27 per cent.THE GUJARAT State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday announced the schedule for the general elections to the urban local bodies and taluka panchayats to be held on April 26. The counting and results will be declared on April 28.The elections will see a few firsts this time where nine new municipal corporations, seven new municipalities, and 17 new taluka panchayats announced by the state government last year will go to polls; The Other Backward Classes (OBC) seats will see a higher quota at 27% from the last 10% and all the elections to all the bodies will be held simultaneously.“A total of 404 local bodies that also includes by-election on 13 seats of 11 nagarpalikas will vote on April 26. This makes a total of 10005 total seats. The entire process will conclude before April 30,” State Election Commissioner S Murali Krishna said adding that new EVMs had been purchased for the simultaneous elections including 52 Control Units (CUs) and nearly 60,000 Ballot Units (BU).With the declaration of the schedule for general elections in 15 of the total 17 municipal corporations, along with 84 municipalities, 34 zilla panchayats and 260 taluka panchayats in Gujarat, the model code of conduct came into effect on Wednesday.Only two municipal corporations – Junagadh and Gandhinagar – will not go to the polls.As per the final electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)- a total of 4.18 crore voters – 2.16 crore male and 2.02 crore females and 965 others will vote between 7 am and 6 pm on April 26.After declaration of the draft voter list on March 23, objections and claims were accepted till March 27 and the final voter list was announced on Wednesday.Breaking the norm, another first this time will be all the elections to be conducted simultaneously. Unlike the recent local body elections which were held in two phases – rural and urban – this time all the bodies will vote simultaneously.The reason cited by officials is the soaring temperatures towards the month of May.Following the recommendations of the Jhaveri Commission, the Gujarat government increased the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation in local bodies from 10 per cent to 27 per cent.15 municipal corporations: 1,004 seats84 nagarpalika: 2,624 seats34 district panchayat or zilla panchayat 1,090 seats260 taluka panchayats 5,234 seatsTotal polling staff 44,9097AROs 1,266ROs 996Polling stations 49,591The scheduleStory continues below this adNotification to be issued and nominations to commence from April 6Last date of filing nominations April 11Scrutiny of nominations April 13Last date of withdrawal of nominations April 15.Newly formed district Vav-Tharad. Of 34 district panchayats, 26 saw delimitation deimitation in 26Of 7 new nagarpalikas 14 have new delimitation260 taluka panchayats out of total 263 will witness election as three municipalities — Kapadvanj, Kathlal and Gandhinagar—have already completed elections.Of 260 taluka panchayats, delimitation done on 7013 vacant seats in 11 municipalities will see bypolls Ritu Sharma is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express' Gujarat bureau, an editorial position that reflects her experience and Authority in regional journalism. With over a decade of concentrated reporting experience, she is a highly Trustworthy and specialized journalist, especially noted for her Expertise in the education sector across Gujarat and previously Chandigarh. Expertise Primary Authority (Education): With over ten years of dedicated reporting on education in both Gujarat and Chandigarh, Ritu Sharma is a foremost authority on educational policy, institutional governance, and ground realities from "KG to PG." Her coverage includes: Higher Education: In-depth scrutiny of top institutions like IIM-Ahmedabad (controversies over demolition/restoration of heritage architecture), IIT-Bombay (caste discrimination issues), and new initiatives like international branch campuses in GIFT City. Schooling & Policy: Detailed coverage of government schemes (Gyan Sadhana School Voucher Scheme), the implementation and impact of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, teacher recruitment issues, and the impact of national policies like the NEP. Student Welfare: Reporting on critical issues such as suicide allegations due to caste discrimination, and the challenges faced by students (e.g., non-delivery of NAMO tablets). ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:ahmedabad