Maharashtra local body poll results put on hold by Bombay High Court
The Bombay High Court has told Maharashtra's election officials to delay counting votes for all recent local body polls until December 21.
This covers results from 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats that voted on December 2, plus another 24 bodies set to vote on December 20.
The judges said announcing early results could unfairly influence the second round of voting.
Why does this matter?
This move is meant to keep things fair for everyone running in both phases, but it's left many candidates and parties frustrated over the wait.
Exit polls are also banned until voting wraps up, and the election code stays in place till results are out.
Some leaders have called out the delays as tough on candidates and voters, but the court says unified counting is needed for a level playing field.