Nashik Reserved Seats 2026: SC, ST, OBC, Women Ward List and Reservation Details for Nashik Elections
The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) ward reservation for the 2026 civic elections allocates seats across categories—Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and women—to ensure representational equity within the 122-member civic body.
Overview of reservation framework
Municipal ward reservation in Nashik follows the statutory principles and state election commission procedures that rotate category-specific and women-only reservations across wards to reflect population composition and to comply with legal directives on political representation.
For the 2026 NMC cycle, the reservation exercise determined the category status of each ward (SC, ST, OBC or unreserved) and separately designated a subset of wards as reserved for women candidates within those categories; this yields simultaneous reservations by social category and by gender so that some wards are both reserved for a particular community and for women of that community.
Numeric breakdown and key patterns
Of the total 122 seats in Nashik Municipal Corporation, reservations were assigned across categories with a substantial share reserved for women as part of the overall quotaing approach.
The 2026 ward-reservation draw resulted in a split approximately as follows: 18 seats reserved for SC, 9 seats reserved for ST, 32 seats reserved for OBC and the remainder classified as general/unreserved; overall, 61 seats were reserved for women across different categories (including SC–women, ST–women, OBC–women and general–women wards). These allocations reflect the commission’s attempt to balance social-category representation and women’s participation across the civic map.
Ward-wise implications for candidates and parties
When a ward is reserved for a category and for women, only eligible candidates from that category and of the female gender may file nomination papers there; where a ward is reserved for a category but not specifically for women, male and female candidates from that social category may contest; and where a ward is unreserved, any eligible candidate regardless of category or gender can contest.
Political parties and independent aspirants must therefore align candidate selection and local strategies to the ward list: parties often prioritize experienced local figures who meet category-and-gender eligibility in reserved wards and redeploy leader resources to open wards where cross-community appeal matters most.
How the reservation list was finalised
The municipal administration conducted a public draw of lots to determine which specific wards receive which reservation status, supervised by senior officials and often witnessed by representatives of political parties; a draw is a standard administrative method used to rotate reservation across electoral cycles and to avoid accusations of bias in ward assignment.
The process typically follows demographic bases used in the last census and the legal framework that stipulates the proportion of seats to be reserved for SC, ST and OBC communities and for women, with the precise ward assignment rotated to fulfill both proportionality and rotation requirements.
What voters and aspirants should note
- Eligible candidates must verify the final, gazetted ward list before filing nominations because reservations are binding and will be enforced at nomination scrutiny.
- Women can also contest in unreserved wards; reservation for women does not bar them from contesting open seats.
- Political parties will publish their candidate lists after matching eligibility to ward reservations; independents must ensure documentary proof of social-category status where required.
- Reservation rotation means a ward reserved in 2026 for a particular category may be unreserved or reserved differently in future cycles; local political calculations therefore change from one election to the next.
Practical steps before nominations
Aspirants should obtain the finalized ward-reservation gazette and the municipal commissioner’s order for the 2026 elections, prepare category certification documents (SC/ST/OBC as applicable), and confirm the gender-reservation status of their intended ward well before the nomination deadline.
Electoral agents and party cadres should update voters about reservation implications in their ward so electors understand which candidates are eligible and why some familiar names may not appear on the ballot for a reserved seat.
Political and governance significance
Reservation of wards for SC, ST, OBC and women has both representational and practical consequences: it increases the likelihood that local governance priorities of historically underrepresented groups will be voiced in the municipal council and reshapes local party strategies and alliances ahead of polling.
For Nashik voters, the 2026 reservation pattern will determine the candidate slate in each ward and influence which civic issues gain prominence through the election campaign, while for political organizations it will be a decisive factor in seat-sharing talks and candidate grooming.
If you are a candidate, party worker or voter in Nashik, check the official NMC notices and the state election commission’s gazette for the authenticated ward-wise reservation list and the precise legal order prior to taking electoral steps.
