Rural Development Department of Maharashtra Government has declared the much-awaited reservation of the post of Zilla Parishad (ZP) President for various bodies in the State. Accordingly, the post of Nagpur ZP chief has been reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST). For the past some time, there was curiosity in political circles here as to the reservation of the post. Some of the seasoned political leaders had predicted that the post would be reserved for ST. At present, Rashmi Barve is ZP President. She has completed the tenure of two-and-a-half years. She was elected as ZP President in January 2020.

 

The present elected body of ZP is dominated by Congress, which is the single largest party. Sunil Kedar, former Animal Husbandry Minister, is the driving force of the ruling Congress party in ZP. Against this backdrop, now all eyes are on the candidate who would be nominated by Congress party to succeed Barve as ZP President. As far as reservation of the ZP President’s post in other districts of Vidarbha is concerned, it is reserved for General (Woman) in Amravati and Akola; for General category in Washim, Buldhana, and Yavatmal; Scheduled Caste (Woman) in Wardha and Chandrapur; Scheduled Tribe (Woman) in Bhandara; Other Backward Class (OBC) in Gondia, and for OBC (Woman) in Gadchiroli.