Returned to Shiv Sena on his own: Shinde welcomes former Maharashtra Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar

Shinde, who formally inducted Dhangekar into the Shiv Sena, said he originally began his political career with the undivided Shiv Sena and served as a Sena corporator in the Pune Municipal Corporation for 10 years. “Dhangekar returned to the Shiv Sena on his own,” said the Deputy Chief Minister.

“Dhangekar is a popular leader in Pune and I have witnessed it myself during the Kasba assembly bypoll. When I was the Chief Minister, I stationed myself in Kasba to ensure the victory of the ally candidate in the bypoll but Dhangekar proved himself by getting elected in a tough situation,” said Shinde adding the former Congress MLA’s entry into the Shiv Sena will strengthen the party in Pune.

Dhangekar said it was his pleasure to return to the Shiv Sena from where he learned public service and politics. “I have been a Shiv Sena leader for 10 years in my political career. I have seen the public service done by Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde and it is close to my way of working for public,” said Dhangekar.

“I have decided to quit the Congress as per the demand of my supporters. It was a good journey with the Congress. I have formed good relations with the Congress leaders. I have nothing against anyone in Congress,” said Dhangekar before heading for Thane to meet Shinde.
State industries minister and Shiv Sena MLA Uday Samant said his party welcomed Dhangekar into the Shiv Sena. “I had stated that many former legislators will join the Shiv Sena. Two from Konkan, including Rajan Salvi, have already joined. Now, Dhangekar is joining. Two more former legislators from Pune will join soon,” he said.

“Dhangekar was originally a Shiv Sena leader who entered politics under the leadership of Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray. We wanted him to rejoin Shiv Sena,” said a Shiv Sena supporter.

Dhangekar met Shinde a few times in the past few months and Samant a few days ago but had ruled out leaving the Congress, stating that his visit was for personal and not political reasons.

Dhangekar was elected to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly as a Congress candidate from the Kasba Peth constituency in the bypoll held in 2023 where he defeated the BJP in its bastion. However, he lost the seat in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls to BJP’s Hemant Rasane.
Before that, Dhangekar faced defeat in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 from Pune where he lost the polls to BJP’s Murlidhar Mohol.

Dhangekar was first elected as a PMC corporator on a ticket of the undivided Shiv Sena. He followed Raj Thackeray after the formation of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and continued to get elected to the civic body. In 2017, he joined the Congress after being sidelined by the MNS.

The Congress has failed to win any assembly seat in Pune in last three elections except for the Kasba bypoll in 2023, when Dhangekar won the seat. The steady downfall of Congress in its bastion Pune began in 2007 when it lost power in PMC.

The Shiv Sena too has been struggling for long in city politics and had no legislator elected from the city in the last three elections. It did not contest any seat in Pune in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections due to seat sharing arrangement with alliance partners NCP and BJP.