NASHIK

At the time of India’s independence, the region that now forms Nashik district was part of the Bombay State. Following the Bombay Reorganisation Act of 1960, Bombay State was divided into Gujarat and Maharashtra, with Nashik becoming part of Maharashtra. Located in northwestern Maharashtra, Nashik district lies along the Godavari River and serves as the district headquarters. Today, known as the wine capital of India, Nashik’s identity is equally shaped by its long-standing spiritual and political heritage.

The Nashik district consists of the Lok Sabha constituencies: Nashik and Dindori, and the following Vidhan Sabha constituencies:

Within the Vidhan Parishad, the Nashik District is represented by Nashik Local Bodies Authorities Constituency, the Nashik Teachers’ Constituency, and the Nashik Graduates Constituency. The Graduates and Teachers’ Constituencies are based on the administrative divisions of Maharashtra.

Based on records from the delimitation reports by the Election Commission, the given chart provides an overview of the changes that have occurred in the composition of the Lok Sabha constituency of Nashik District and the reshuffling of the Vidhan Sabha constituencies with every delimitation that has been done.

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

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

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

The Guardian Minister for Nashik is Girish Mahajan, from BJP, as of 2024.

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

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

There are 18 Urban Local Bodies in the Nashik District: 2 Mahanagar Palika, 10 Nagar Parishad, and 1 Cantonment Board. There are 1386 Gram Panchayats and 15 Panchayat Samiti.

The Nashik Municipal Corporation was established on 7 November 1982, marking a significant step in the city’s urban governance. Shantarambapu Kondaji Wavare of the INC became the first elected mayor in 1992. Since then, the INC has held power for much of the corporation’s history, though parties such as the BJP, SHS, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have also led at various times. This reflects the city’s dynamic and evolving political landscape.

The Malegaon Municipal Corporation was established on 17 December 2001, marking an important milestone in the city’s administrative development. Since its formation, the INC has largely held power, though parties such as the BJP, SHS, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) have also had elected representatives. This points to the political diversity and competitive nature of local governance in Malegaon.

Nashik Zilla Parishad was established on 1 May 1962. Today, 15 Panchayat Samitis and 1,373 Gram Panchayats are working for the development of rural areas. There are a total of 73 elected members.

Nashik district has ten municipal councils that oversee the administration of smaller urban centres. These include the Nagar Parishads of Chandwad, Bhagur, Igatpuri, Manmad, Niphad, Nandgaon, Satana, Sinnar, Trimbak, and Yeola. These councils are responsible for local governance, civic amenities, and infrastructure development in their respective towns.

In addition to municipal councils, Nashik district also has five town councils that manage semi-urban or transitional areas. These are the Nagar Panchayats of Deola, Dindori, Kalwan, Peth, and Surgana. Each plays a vital role in facilitating basic services and guiding urban development in smaller settlements.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, there were a total of 31 contestants from Nashik and 10 from Dindori. Ten contestants from Nashik and one contestant from Dindori had criminal cases against them, while two of the candidates from Nashik had serious cases registered. The contestant with the highest number of criminal cases registered was from the Bahujan Samaj Party in Nashik and had four cases registered against them.

The elected Nashik MP, Rajabhau (Parag) Prakash Waje, from SHS-UBT, and the elected Dindori MP, Bhaskar Murlidhar Bhagare, of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP), both have no criminal cases against them.

In the 2019 Vidhan Sabha election, there were a total of 113 contestants from 12 Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Nashik and Dindori Lok Sabha seats. Out of these 113 contestants, 38 contestants had criminal cases against them. The candidate with the highest number of criminal cases registered was an Independent.

The elected MLAs from Nandgaon, Niphad, Nashik (West), Nashik (East), Yevla, and Sinnar had cases registered against them. The MLA from the Nandgaon Suhas Dwarkanath Kande of SHS and Yevla, Chhagan Chandrakant Bhujbal of NCP, both had seven cases registered against them.

In 1979, Sharad Joshi led a group of farmers to block the Pune-Nashik highway to press for higher prices for onions. The onion growers dumped their produce on the highway to underline their demand. This protest is remembered as the largest farmers' protest of its time.

On February 20, 2019, over 10,000 farmers, mainly landless laborers and small farmers, gathered in Nashik from areas such as Peint, Trimbakeshwar, Kalwan, and Palghar to join the All India Kisan Sabha’s (AIKS) second long march to Mumbai. The farmers were demanding a farm loan waiver, minimum support prices, irrigation facilities, pensions, and other benefits as part of their protest.

In September 2020, farmers across Maharashtra protested against the Central government's decision to ban onion exports. Demonstrations were held at the Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee and the onion growers also blocked the Mumbai-Agra Highway to voice their discontent. The farmers allege that the ban has severely affected the prices of their produce.

On 17 August 2024, tensions escalated during a protest by the Sakal Hindu Samaj against violence in Bangladesh. The situation turned violent, leading to stone-pelting and clashes. Fourteen policemen, including five officers and nine staff, were injured, while three to four civilians were also hurt. The police arrested over 20 individuals and filed six FIRs against 500 rioters. To control the situation, law enforcement used lathi charges and fired tear gas shells.