The Nashik city police have been busy processing a significant number of requests from potential candidates ahead of the upcoming civic body polls. In a key administrative step, the police department issued a total of 1,724 character verification certificates to individuals who needed to clear this formality before filing their nomination papers for the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections.
Zone-Wise Breakdown Reveals Political Hotspots
The data provided by the police offers a clear picture of where political activity is most intense. The Upnagar police station emerged as the busiest jurisdiction, receiving and processing a high of 282 applications. It was followed closely by the Ambad police station, which handled 210 requests, and the Nashik Road jurisdiction, which saw 186 applications.
The detailed breakdown of certificates issued by other police stations across the city is as follows:
- Panchavati: 144
- Adgaon: 65
- Mhasrul: 120
- Sarkarwada: 36
- Bhadrakali: 151
- Gangapur: 105
- Mumbai Naka: 98
- Indiranagar: 185
- Satpur: 182
Interestingly, the Deolali Camp police station recorded zero applications. This is because a major portion of its area falls under the jurisdiction of the Deolali Cantonment Board, where the NMC elections are not being conducted.
Police Clarify Procedure and Purpose
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Kirankumar Chavan provided important clarifications regarding the process while speaking to the media. He stated that the police issued the character verification certificates to all aspiring candidates who applied, regardless of whether any criminal cases were pending against them.
DCP Chavan also pointed out a crucial detail: "It is also not necessary that all those who took the character verification necessarily filed the nominations for the elections." This indicates that some individuals may have obtained the certificate as a precautionary measure or may have ultimately decided not to contest.
What This Means for the NMC Elections
The high number of character certificate applications serves as a strong indicator of keen interest in the municipal polls. The zone-wise data effectively maps the areas with the most competitive political landscape, with Upnagar, Ambad, and Nashik Road leading the pack. The police department's role in this pre-election formality is procedural and does not imply a clean chit or an endorsement of the candidates. The final electoral battleground will only be clear once the nomination process is complete and the final list of contestants is published.
