GONDIA

During the time of India’s independence, Gondia was a part of the Berar state with other neighboring districts. With the reorganization of states in 1956, Bhandara (with Gondia) was transferred to the Bombay state from the state of Madhya Pradesh. It became a part of Maharashtra in 1960 when the Bombay state was divided into Maharashtra and Gujarat. Later, on 1 May 1999, the erstwhile Bhandara district was bifurcated and a new district of Gondia was formed.

The Gondia district consists of the joint Lok Sabha constituency, Bhandara-Gondia:

Within the Vidhan Parishad, the Gondiya District is represented by Bhandara-Gondia 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 Gondia 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, the given chart provides an overview of the changes that have occurred in the composition of the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency and the reshuffling of Vidhan Sabha constituencies with every delimitation.

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

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

Praful Patel, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is a member of the Rajya Sabha, representing Maharashtra and belongs to Gondia district.

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

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

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

There are 8 Urban Local Bodies in the Gondia District: 1 Mahanagar Palika, 7 Nagar Parishad, 1 Nagar Panchayat. There are 704 Gram Panchayats.

Gondia Municipal Council was established in 1920. The Ministry of Urban Development has recently announced to merge 20 nearby villages into Gondia to give the city the status of Municipal Corporation.

Gondia district has three municipal councils (Nagar Parishads) that serve as local urban governance bodies. These are the Amgaon Nagar Parishad, Gondia Nagar Parishad, and Tiroda Nagar Parishad.

The district also includes five Nagar Panchayats that function as administrative units in semi-urban areas. These are the Arjuni Nagar Panchayat, Deori Nagar Panchayat, Goregaon Nagar Panchayat, Sadak-Arjuni Nagar Panchayat, and Salekasa Nagar Panchayat.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, there were a total of 18 contestants from the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency. Out of which, there were 2 contestants who had criminal cases against them, with both of the candidates having serious cases registered. The elected MP, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, has no criminal cases against him.

In the 2019 Vidhan Sabha election, a total of 77 contestants contested from the Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha. Out of which, 19 contestants had criminal cases against them. However, none of them had any serious cases registered. The political parties, INC and BJP, had the highest number of candidates with criminal cases.

Of the elected MLAs, 5 have serious criminal cases registered against them. Nana Patole from the Sakoli Vidhan Sabha constituency has the highest number of criminal cases. The only MLA without any registered cases is Manohar Chandrikapure from Arjuni Morgaon Vidhan Sabha Constituency.

The district of Gondia has been a hub of Naxalite activity since the early 2000s. The Naxalite movement in Maharashtra, particularly in the districts of Gondia, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Bhandara, Nanded, and Yavatmal, largely stems from the spillover of conflicts from neighboring states such as Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana. Contributing factors also include poor governance, widespread corruption, and dissatisfaction among indigenous communities. In 2013, Gondia, Goregaon, and Tiroda talukas of Gondia district were officially reclassified as Naxal-affected areas (they were removed from this list earlier). Since then, numerous incidents of Naxalite activity have been reported, with the Indian Armed Forces actively engaged in efforts to dismantle the movement. The most recent armed encounter between the forces and Naxalites was reported in April 2023.

Laxmanrao Mankar was born on 4 February 1929 in the village of Tumkheda, Goregaon taluka. After completing his high school education, he returned to Amgaon with a firm resolve to serve the people. He chose the field of education as the primary medium through which he could contribute meaningfully to society.

A lifelong swayamsevak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Mankar attributed his social commitment and values to the sanskars he imbibed through the local shakha. He was particularly inspired by Rajabhau Paturkar, a senior RSS pracharak, and that inspiration shaped his tireless efforts to build community-oriented educational institutions that would uplift the common people.

Fondly known as Mankar Gurujee, he was instrumental in establishing several key educational institutions in and around Amgaon. These include Adarsh Vidyalaya, Bhawabhuti Mahavidyalaya (offering Arts, Science, and Commerce streams), a Dairy Science College (Diploma), a D.Pharm College, and Adarsh Wachanalaya in Amgaon. He also founded Ramakrishna Vidyalaya in Kurhad and Ravindra Vidyalaya in Chopa.

Mankar was among the earliest Jansangh leaders from the region. He contested the Amgaon Assembly constituency thrice - in 1962, 1967, and 1972 - and secured a victory in 1967 on a Bharatiya Jansangh ticket. He served as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) from 1974 to 1977. In 1977, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Bhandara constituency on a Janata Party ticket. He contested the same seat again in 1980 and 1984 on a BJP ticket but was defeated both times by Keshavrao Pardhi of the INC.

Shri Manoharbhai Patel was born on 9 February 1906 in Nadiad, Gujarat, into a farming family. Due to financial constraints, he was unable to continue his education beyond the fourth standard. At the age of 15, he moved to Jabalpur in search of a livelihood and began working in a bidi factory, where he handled tasks such as loading and unloading tobacco bags.

In 1930, he relocated to Gondia, then part of the Central Provinces and Berar, to work in his uncle’s firm, M/s C.J. Patel & Company. The firm was engaged in purchasing tobacco from farmers in Gujarat for sale to bidi manufacturers in Gondia. Manoharbhai eventually became a partner and ventured into bidi manufacturing himself. His enterprise expanded significantly and provided employment to thousands in the Gondia region. By the 1940s, his company had grown into one of the major bidi manufacturing firms in India, operating units in West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Madhya Pradesh, and employing over 60,000 workers.

Although he did not receive formal higher education, Shri Patel was deeply committed to the cause of education. With a vision to give back to society, he established the Gondia Education Society. On a single day, he opened 22 high schools and one degree college in a district that, until then, did not have a single high school. Over time, the Gondia Education Society expanded to operate around 30 colleges and 30 high schools, providing education to more than 80,000 students across disciplines such as engineering, information technology, architecture, management, law, pharmacy, and the arts. In Gujarat, he founded the Nadiad Education Society, which today manages several institutions offering education in engineering, management, science, and humanities. He was also instrumental in setting up hospitals and charitable organizations across the country.

During the freedom struggle, Shri Manoharbhai Patel came into contact with national leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Jayaprakash Narayan. Later, he became closely associated with political figures like Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Y.B. Chavan, and Babubhai Patel. A Gandhian in spirit, he wore khadi throughout his life and remained an active member of the Indian National Congress. He served as a member of the All India Congress Committee, President of the Vidarbha Region Congress Committee, and Treasurer of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee.

Shri Patel served as President of the Gondia Municipal Council from 1946 until his death in 1970. He was elected to the first Legislative Assembly of the Central Provinces and Berar in 1952 and later served in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly after the reorganization of states in 1960. In recognition of his contributions to regional development, the Government of Maharashtra named a major irrigation project in Vidarbha after him - Manohar Sagar.

Praful Patel is a seasoned Indian politician known for his long-standing career in public service and contributions to key ministries in the Government of India. His political journey began in the early 1990s with the NCP, a major political force in Maharashtra. His steady rise within the party ranks was shaped by his leadership abilities and consistent engagement in political affairs.

Patel served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for multiple terms, representing the Bhandara-Gondiya constituency in the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 2014. His repeated electoral success reflected his strong grassroots connect and continued relevance in the region. One of the major milestones in his career was his appointment as the Minister of Civil Aviation in the Union Cabinet under Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, a position he held from 2004 to 2014.

As Civil Aviation Minister, Patel oversaw a crucial phase of transformation in India’s aviation sector. He introduced several policy reforms aimed at liberalization, infrastructure expansion, and private sector participation, contributing to the modernization and growth of the industry. Beyond politics, Patel also played an important role in Indian sports administration. As President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), he worked toward the promotion and development of football, helping raise the sport’s profile at both national and international levels.

In addition to his political and administrative roles, Patel has also been involved in business, with interests spanning real estate and hospitality. This diversification reflects his multifaceted career and entrepreneurial outlook.

Over the decades, Praful Patel has held key positions within the NCP and government, making a lasting impact on the aviation sector and sports governance. While his public life has not been without controversy, he continues to remain a significant figure in Indian political and administrative circles.

Savita Puram is a prominent BJP leader from Gondia and currently serves as the Chairperson of the Zilla Parishad for Women and Child Welfare. Her dedicated work in the field of women and child welfare has significantly advanced the district's progress in these areas. As a vocal advocate, she has been at the forefront of raising strong voices on various policy issues and initiatives related to women's and children's health, education, and overall welfare in Gondia. She is also a member of a district-level advisory committee that’s working on investigating cases of sexual abuse.