Odisha will hold elections for 24 newly formed urban local bodies in June 2026, ahead of the full local elections scheduled for 2027. State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi announced this on January 21, 2026, saying elections must be completed within six months after new municipal areas are declared. The Mohan Majhi Government had issued notifications on December 31, 2025, creating these 24 new Notified Area Councils and municipalities. Mr. Padhi added that the delimitation and reservation processes of these civic bodies will be completed within 30 days after their declaration. The State Election Commission will then start the electoral process. The government has been informed about this obligatory election for the new urban bodies. Full-scale rural and urban local body elections will be held in 2027 when the current bodies' tenure ends.