Nashik in North Maharashtra is a city steeped in India’s spiritual and cultural legacy, renowned for its deep connections to revered religious figures, events, and locations mentioned in epics such as the Ramayana.

Viewed as a calm and laid-back city, the election narrative in Nashik a week before the Maharashtra Assembly polls centres on three unlikely, and controversial, issues: a growing drug menace, a controversial figure who is known as “Chhoti Bhabhi”, and the demolition of an office of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and former Nashik Mayor Vasant Gite. These three issues are especially shaping the bitter poll race in Nashik Central, one of the city’s three Assembly constituencies that has been a BJP stronghold for the past decade.

The peaceful image of the city first took a hit a year ago when the Mumbai Police uncovered a massive drug operation at a factory run by local resident Lalit Patil. The police confiscated mephedrone, a synthetic stimulant, worth more than Rs 300 crore. It was a stark revelation of the deepening drug crisis, particularly in Nashik Central, where rising addiction rates and the alarming involvement of children in drug consumption have become pressing concerns.

BJP MLA Devyani Pharande, who has been winning the seat since 2014, has spoken out against the growing drug problem. However, her political rival and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Vasant Gite, whom she defeated in 2014 when he was with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has accused her of supporting drug peddlers.

In the wake of the Lalit Patil case, the Nashik Police launched a crackdown on local drug networks, arresting several key figures. Among those arrested was Nasreen Shaikh who is known as “Chhoti Bhabhi” and Irfan Shaikh, popularly known as “Chipdya”. The police said they seized 54.4 gm of mephedrone and a kilogram of marijuana from Nasreen, a resident of the minority-dominated area of Wadala. They have alleged that she is a key figure in managing a drug distribution network in the city.

Gite has alleged that Irfan is closely associated with Pharande, accusing her of using political influence to protect local narcos. He has even alleged that in 2020 Pharande led a protest against the arrest of Irfan and others.

“The MLA’s call records need to be examined. You will find numerous calls between her and a drug peddler named ‘Chipdya’. This is a person who has been connected to drug activities and the MLA is responsible for tarnishing the city’s reputation,” alleged Gite. “On November 23, the residents of Nashik will show this ‘Badi Bhabhi’ her place.”

The two-time MLA dismissed the accusations as a “fake narrative” spread by her opponent. She maintained that she had been vocal about the drug problem and actively worked with authorities to combat it. “Yes, the city has a drug problem but I have always been proactive in addressing it, even tipping off police about suspected drug peddlers. The recent crackdown on drug factories happened largely due to my efforts,” she said.

The bitter fight has seen Pharande fire back at Gite, accusing him of being involved in illegal alcohol sales from his office near the busy Mumbai Naka intersection. The animosity between the two spilled onto the roads shortly after the Lok Sabha elections this year when Gite’s office was demolished by the authorities. Gite has alleged that the MLA played a key role in orchestrating the demolition as the Shiv Sena (UBT) took a narrow lead from the Nashik Central Assembly segment in the Lok Sabha elections that was on by Rajabhau Waje of the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Amid the mudslinging, the drug crisis finds resonance among voters. “The drug problem has made people feel unsafe. Children are being exposed to drugs and it is contributing to rising crime rates. I was even assaulted by a drug addict on a busy road. We hope that we get an MLA who understands the gravity of this stark problem that the city is facing,” said Nadeem Shaikh, a local.

Nashik Central also faced a communal riot in August, further deepening the divide in a constituency where Muslims make up 20% of the population. Gite who served as Mayor during his tenure with the undivided Shiv Sena and was an MNS MLA has strong support in the minority community. In the past, he has won an election unopposed from a Muslim-majority ward.

Pharande is banking on the significant organisational heft of the BJP and deep ties to the electorate, having served as the Deputy Mayor of the Nashik Municipal Corporation.

While the mudslinging between Pharande and Gite adds a dramatic edge to the contest, voters are worried if their safety concerns will be addressed amid all the political bickering.

“The city finds itself at a crossroads, torn between its cultural and spiritual past and the realities of its present, namely the drug epidemic and rising communal tensions. For many voters, this is not only a vote to choose a political party but also a vote intended to reclaim the former peace and promise this city represented,” said Deepak Kor, an IT professional.