NAGPUR

Named after the Nag River, the Nagpur region has been ruled by several dynasties over time, including the Vakatakas, Guptas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Paramaras, Tughlaqs, Mughals, and the Bhosales of the Maratha empire. After India gained independence in 1947, the Central Provinces and Berar became a province of the Indian Union. In 1950, it was reorganised as the state of Madhya Pradesh, with Nagpur as its capital. Following the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, the Bhandara district, part of the Nagpur region, was transferred from Madhya Pradesh to Bombay State. Later, under the Bombay Reorganisation Act of 1960, Bombay State was divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat, and Nagpur was incorporated into the newly formed state of Maharashtra.

Nagpur district falls primarily under the Nagpur and Ramtek Lok Sabha constituencies, which together include several Vidhan Sabha segments. The distribution is as follows:

Within the Vidhan Parishad, the Nagpur District is represented by Nagpur Local Bodies Authorities Constituency, the Nagpur Teachers’ Constituency, and the Nagpur 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 Nagpur district and the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha Constituencies that fall within and around it.

Based on delimitation reports by the Election Commission, the accompanying chart outlines the changes in the composition of the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency and the reorganisation of Vidhan Sabha segments across successive delimitation exercises.

The following table lists the current Members of Parliament representing Nagpur district in the Lok Sabha, as of November 2024:

The table below presents the current Members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) from Nagpur district, as of 2024:

There is no member from the Nagpur district currently representing Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha.

The following is the current Guardian Minister for Nagpur district, as of 2024:

The table below lists the current Members of the Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad representing Nagpur district, as of 2024:

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

Nagpur district has a total of 22 Urban Local Bodies, which include 1 Mahanagar Palika, 13 Nagar Parishads, 7 Nagar Panchayats, and 1 Cantonment Board. In addition to its urban governance structures, the district has 770 Gram Panchayats and 13 Panchayat Samitis, which manage local administration and development in the rural areas.

The Nagpur District Council (Zila Parishad) was established in May 1962 under the leadership of Shri Yashwantrao Chavan. Shri Chhatrapal Anandrao Kedar of the INC became its first president, serving from 12 August 1962 to 11 August 1967. Since its inception, the council has had a total of 22 presidents. The Zila Parishad of Nagpur comprises 58 seats.

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) was established in March 1951. The city is divided into 10 zones, which are further subdivided into 38 wards. Each ward is represented by four elected corporators, making a total of 151 seats in the corporation. Over the years, the BJP and the INC have held power for most of the time. Other parties, such as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and SHS, have also demonstrated significant influence in municipal elections.

Nagpur district has 13 Municipal Councils (Nagar Parishads), located in: Kamaleshwar, Kamptee, Kanhan-Pipri, Katol, Khapa, Mohpa, Mohad, Narkhed, Ramtek, Savner, Umred, Wadi, and Wandongri.

There are 7 Town Councils (Nagar Panchayats) functioning in Butibori, Hingna, Kuhi, Mouda, Mahadula, Parshivni, and one other area under Cantonment Board administration.

The Kamploe Cantonment Board manages civic and administrative responsibilities for the cantonment area.

During the 1994 Winter Session of the Maharashtra State Assembly, members of the Gowari community staged a large protest in Nagpur, demanding reservations in education and government employment. As the crowd grew beyond control, the police resorted to a lathi charge, triggering panic and a stampede-like situation. The incident led to the death of over 100 Gowaris and left nearly 500 people injured, including several policemen. The tragedy sparked widespread outrage and protests against the government and police. In response, the state government appointed a commission of inquiry headed by Justice S.S. Dani. Although the commission gave a clean chit to both the government and the police, Madhukar Pichad, the then Minister for Tribal Affairs, resigned on moral grounds.

Although Vidarbha is a Marathi-speaking region, it has maintained a distinct cultural and historical identity. In December 1953, the Congress-led central government constituted the States Reorganisation Commission, which recommended the creation of a separate Vidarbha state. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar also supported the demand for Vidarbha’s statehood.

Madhav Aney, grandfather of prominent Vidarbha movement leader and former Advocate General of Maharashtra, made a significant impact by winning the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat as an independent candidate in 1962, campaigning solely on the promise of statehood for Vidarbha. In 1971, Jambuwantrao Dhote won the same seat as a Forward Bloc candidate, and in 1977, Raje Vishveshwarrao secured the Chandrapur Lok Sabha seat, both continuing the call for a separate state.

Efforts to revive the movement continued in the 2000s. In 2002, Dhote founded the Vidarbha Janata Congress. This was followed by the formation of the Vidarbha Rajya Nirman Congress in 2003 by former Congress leaders Vasant Sathe and N.K.P. Salve. In 2004, former MP Banwarilal Purohit launched the Vidarbha Rajya Party. However, despite these sustained efforts, none of the parties succeeded in mobilizing lasting political momentum for the creation of a separate Vidarbha state.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, 26 candidates contested from the Nagpur constituency. Among them, 4 had criminal cases registered, including 2 with serious charges. The candidates with the highest number of criminal cases registered belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The elected Member of Parliament, Nitin Gadkari, has 10 criminal cases filed against him.

From the Ramtek Lok Sabha constituency, 28 candidates contested in 2024. Of these, 4 had criminal cases, and 1 had serious charges. The elected MP, Shyamkumar Daulat Barve, has 2 criminal cases registered against him.