SOLAPUR

The name "Solapur" is believed to be derived from the words sola (meaning "sixteen" in Marathi) and pura (meaning "village"), referring to the idea that the present-day city developed out of a cluster of sixteen villages. Historically, the region now comprising Solapur district was part of the Ahilyanagar (previously Ahmednagar), Pune, and Satara districts. In 1838, it became a sub-district under Ahilyanagar, including subdivisions such as Barshi, Mohol, Madha, Karmala, Indi, Hippargi, and Muddebihal. However, this administrative unit was abolished in 1864.

In 1871, the district was reorganized by combining the subdivisions of Solapur, Barshi, Mohol, Madha, and Karmala, along with Pandharpur and Sangola from the Satara district. In 1875, the Malshiras subdivision was also added. Following the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, Solapur became part of the Bombay State, and in 1960, it was designated as a full-fledged district in the newly formed state of Maharashtra.

The Solapur district consists of the Solapur and Madha Lok Sabha constituencies, which include the following Vidhan Sabha segments:

Within the Vidhan Parishad, the Solapur District is represented by Solapur-Sangli Local Bodies Authorities Constituency, the Pune Teachers’ Constituency, and the Pune 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 Solapur 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 Solapur Lok Sabha constituency and the reshuffling of the Vidhan Sabha constituencies with every delimitation that has been done.

The following are the current Members of Parliament (MPs) representing Solapur district in the Lok Sabha, as of 2024:

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

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

Jaykumar Gore (BJP) is the current Guardian Minister for Solapur district, as of 2024.

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

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

There are 14 Urban Local Bodies in the Solapur District: 1 Mahanagar Palika, 11 Nagar Parishad, and 2 Nagar Panchayat. There are 1031 Gram Panchayats and 11 Panchayat Samitis.

Solapur Zilla Parishad was established in 1962. Currently, it comprises 11 Panchayat Samitis and 1031 Gram Panchayats.

Solapur Municipal Corporation is one of the oldest in India, established on 1 Aug 1861 as a Municipal Council and granted Municipal Corporation status in 1963. There are a total of 113 wards under the Corporation. N.M. Wadwan served as the first and longest-serving mayor of the Solapur district. Notably, the INC and BJP are the two major parties in the Municipal Corporation, particularly when it comes to winning margins. These parties have a significant presence and influence in the corporation's political landscape.

Solapur district has several municipal councils (Nagar Parishads) that serve as urban local governance bodies. These include Akkalkot Nagar Parishad, Barshi Nagar Parishad, Dudhani Nagar Parishad, Karmala Nagar Parishad, Kurduwadi Nagar Parishad, Mahalung-Shripur Nagar Parishad, Mohol Nagar Parishad, Maindargi Nagar Parishad, Mangalvedhe Nagar Parishad, Pandharpur Nagar Parishad, and Sangole Nagar Parishad.

The district also has two Nagar Panchayats or town councils, which function as local administrative units in semi-urban areas. These are the Malshiras Nagar Panchayat and the Madha Nagar Panchayat.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, a total of 53 contestants contested from the two constituencies. Out of these candidates, 20 had criminal cases against them, with seven having serious cases registered. The contestants with the highest number of criminal cases registered were from the party NCP-SP.

The elected MP from Madha, Dhairyasheel Rajsinh Mohite-Patil from NCP-SP, has 36 criminal cases against him, and the elected MP from Solapur, Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde from INC, has three cases registered against her.

In the 2019 Vidhan Sabha election, there were a total of 150 contestants from 11 constituencies. Out of these, 48 contestants had criminal cases against them, with 35% of the 48 contestants having serious cases registered. The political parties, NCP and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), had the highest number of contestants with criminal cases.

Of the 11 elected MLAs, four have serious criminal cases registered against them. Rajendra Vitthal Raut from the Barshi Vidhan Sabha constituency has the highest number of criminal cases. The MLAs without any registered cases were from the Solapur City (North), Mohol, Pandharpur, and Sangola Vidhan Sabha Constituencies.

During the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930–34), satyagrahis in Solapur, led by nationalist leader Annasaheb Bhopatkar, hoisted the Indian national flag atop the Municipal building on 6 April 1930, which was the first recorded instance of the flag being raised on a municipal structure.

When news of Mahatma Gandhi’s arrest reached the city, widespread protests erupted. Strikes were called, government buildings were attacked, and railway lines were damaged. The intensity of the uprising forced the British authorities to temporarily abandon Solapur. From 9 to 11 May 1930, local leaders took over the city’s administration and symbolically declared independence from colonial rule.

This brief but powerful assertion of self-rule was quickly crushed. The British reoccupied Solapur, imposed martial law, and launched a harsh crackdown. Numerous citizens were arrested and tortured. In a widely condemned act of reprisal, four freedom fighters - Mallappa Dhanshetty, Jagannath Shinde, Kisan Sarda, and Kurban Hussain - were executed after being falsely implicated in the killing of police personnel.

Since 2023, districts such as Pune, Solapur, and Kolhapur have experienced protests held by members of the Dhangar community asking to be included in the ST category. The community claims that the Dhangad tribe, which has ST status, is identical to the Dhangars and that a “spelling mistake has cost them the ST status”. The Dhangars are on Maharashtra’s list of Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT), but have been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for decades. According to Dhangar leaders, the community is identified as “Dhangad” elsewhere in the country, and gets reservation as an ST. On 21 September 2023, Members of the Dhangar community held a protest at the Ankali Toll Naka on the Sangli-Kolhapur border. Obstructing traffic for about half an hour.

Between September and October 2023, several districts in Maharashtra witnessed widespread protests led by Jarange Patil, a native of Jalna, advocating for the inclusion of the Maratha community in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category for reservations in government jobs and education. In August 2024, protesters blocked the convoy of NCP-SP President Sharad Pawar and insisted on a clear position regarding Maratha reservation.