DHARASHIV

Dharashiv district, formerly known as Osmanabad, was named after Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of the Hyderabad State. At the time of India’s independence in 1947, the region was part of the princely state of Hyderabad, which was annexed into the Indian Union in 1950. Following the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, Hyderabad State was divided among newly formed linguistic states—parts of it were merged with Andhra Pradesh and the Bombay State. Consequently, Osmanabad became part of the Bombay State. With the enactment of the Bombay Reorganisation Act in 1960, the Bombay State was further split into Maharashtra and Gujarat, and Osmanabad was included in Maharashtra. In February 2023, the district was officially renamed Dharashiv, taking its name from the historically significant Dharashiv Caves located in the region.

The Dharashiv district consists of the Osmanabad Lok Sabha, which includes 6 Vidhan Sabha segments: Ausa, Osmanabad, Paranda, Tuljapur, Umarga, and Barshi. Only Ausa and Barshi among the Vidhan Sabha segments are situated outside the Dharashiv district, with Ausa falling within Latur and Barshi within Solapur.

Within the Vidhan Parishad, the Dharashiv district is represented by Osmanabad-cum-Latur-cum-Beed Local Bodies Authorities Constituency, the Aurangabad Teachers’ Constituency, and the Aurangabad Graduates Constituency. The Graduates and Teachers’ Constituencies are based on the administrative divisions of Maharashtra.

The given maps provide an overview of the boundaries of the Dharashiv district and the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha constituencies that fall within and around it.

Based on records from the delimitation reports by the Election Commission, it is evident that there have been significant changes to the Vidhan Sabha constituencies within the Dharashiv district over the years. Particularly noteworthy are the reshuffling of constituencies between the Osmanabad, Latur, and Parandhpur Lok Sabha constituencies.

The given chart provides an overview of the changes that have occurred in the composition of the Dharashiv Lok Sabha constituency and the reshuffling of the Vidhan Sabha constituencies with every delimitation that has been done.

The current Member of Parliament (MP) representing Dharashiv district in the Lok Sabha, as of 2024: 

The following are the current Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) representing constituencies in Dharashiv district, as of 2024:

There is no member from Dharashiv district currently in the Rajya Sabha.

Pratap Sarnaik (SHS) is the current Guardian Minister for Dharashiv district, as of 2024.

The following table lists the current members of the Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad representing Dharashiv district through various constituencies, as of 2024:

The following are the key administrative heads of Dharashiv district, as of 2024:

There are 10 urban local bodies in the Dharashiv district: 10 Nagar Parishads. There are 622 Gram Panchayats and 8 Panchayat Samitis.

Dharashiv Zilla Parishad was established in 1961, with the special efforts of the then President, Late Shri Sangram Maknikar. Maknikar initiated and oversaw the establishment of the Parishad. Over the years, it has had 14 Zilla Parishad members. The logo of the Dharashiv Zilla Parishad features a cow and calf, symbolizing their focus on Agriculture, Horticulture, and Livestock development. They were the first in Maharashtra to work on silk production and introduced a scheme providing 5000/- for childbirth, which was later implemented across the state as well as all of India. The Chief Executive Officer of Dharashiv Zila Parishad is Mainak Ghosh (IAS), and the President is Asmita Shivdas Kamble (NCP) (as of 2025).

Dharashiv district has 10 municipal councils that function as urban local bodies governing smaller towns in the region. These include the Municipal Councils of Dharashiv, Tuljapur, Omerga, Murum, Kallam, Bhoom, Paranda, Lohara, Naldurg, and Washi. Each of these councils is responsible for basic civic infrastructure, public health, water supply, sanitation, and local development initiatives within its respective jurisdiction.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, there were a total of 31 candidates from Dharashiv, out of which four candidates had serious criminal cases registered against them. The elected Dharashiv MP, Omprakash Bhupalsinh alias Pavan Rajenimbalkar, has 2 criminal cases against him.

In the 2019 Vidhan Sabha election, there were a total of 156 candidates from Dharashiv, out of which 27 candidates had criminal cases against them, with 80% of the candidates having serious cases registered. The political parties NCP, SHS, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had the highest number of candidates with criminal cases.

Of the six elected MLAs, five have serious criminal cases registered against them. Tanaji Sawant from Paranda Vidhan Sabha has the highest number of criminal cases. The only MLA without any registered cases is Dnyanraj Chougule from Umerga Vidhan Sabha Constituency.

In February 2023, the government announced the renaming of Osmanabad district to Dharashiv. However, the decision faced significant opposition from sections of the local population. The organization Osmanabad Premika and the political party All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) staged peaceful protests in Laxmi Nagar near the Collector’s office to voice their dissent. The demonstrations drew hundreds of participants, reflecting widespread discontent with the name change.

In January 2023, a violent incident occurred in Yarmala village involving members of an indigenous community. The conflict reportedly stemmed from objections by local villagers over the community’s use of land owned by the Forest Department. What began as a dispute escalated into a confrontation, resulting in four to five huts being set ablaze and two-wheelers being torched. Four individuals sustained injuries in the violence.