Sangli-Miraj & Kupwad

The Sangli Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation is the governing body of the mini metropolitan area of Sangli Miraj Kupwad. The municipal corporation consists of democratically elected members, is headed by a mayor and administers the city's infrastructure, public services and police. Members from the state's leading various political parties hold elected offices in the corporation. The Sangli Miraj Kupwad Municipal Corporation was created on 28 February 1998 by the merger of the previously separate municipal councils of Sangli, Miraj and Kupwad.[1] Sangli had been the district administrative centre and Miraj and Kupwad were small towns located within 10-km distance from Sangli.[1]

As of 2001 India census,[2] Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad had a population of over a half million as per 2011 census. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad has an average literacy rate of 77%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 81%, and female literacy is 69%. In Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age. In Kupwad, as described by Gumperz and Wilson in 1971, Kannada speaking Jains and Lingayats formed the majority, while the rest consisted of Marathi speaking Dalits, Urdu speaking Muslims and a few Telugu speaking rope-makers.In Miraj Urdu speaking Muslims form a majority of 50% of total population of the city.[3]