BJP’s three-time jailed MLA’s wife Sulbha Gaikwad wins from Kalyan (East)

Sulbha contested the election in place of her husband Ganpat, who is close with the top BJP leadership in the state.

In her victory speech, Sulbha expressed gratitude to the people of Kalyan, party workers, alliance partners, and corporators. (Express Photo)

Voters in the Kalyan (East) constituency reaffirmed their support for the Gaikwad family, backing Sulbha Gaikwad, wife of jailed BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, in a decisive victory. Sulbha defeated her husband’s long-time rival, Mahesh Gaikwad, by a margin of 26,408 votes.

In her victory speech, Sulbha expressed gratitude to the people of Kalyan, party workers, alliance partners, and corporators. “I thank the people of Kalyan, my party workers, alliance partners, and the corporators for this victory. It is the efforts of my party and the Mahayuti alliance that have led to this win,” she said.

Sulbha, hailing from the Agri community, further added, “The people of Kalyan (East) have entrusted me with the responsibility of continuing the work started by Saheb (her husband).”

When asked about her priorities as an MLA, Sulbha responded, “I will focus on issues that directly impact the citizens and work towards their welfare.”

Sulbha contested the election in place of her husband Ganpat, who is close with the top BJP leadership in the state. Ganpat had previously won the seat in 2019 on a BJP ticket, defeating his opponent by 12,257 votes. He had also won as an independent in 2014 and 2009.

Currently, Ganpat is incarcerated for allegedly attempting to murder Mahesh Gaikwad earlier this year in Ulhasnagar, following a long-standing personal dispute. He had reportedly shot at Mahesh inside a police station.

Mahesh Gaikwad, a former Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leader and former corporator of Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), contested as an independent after being suspended from Shiv Sena for opposing the nomination of Ganpat’s family. Despite his strong connections with Kalyan MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde, Mahesh secured 55,108 votes.

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Shiv Sena UBT’s Dhananjay Bodare (60) came in third with 39,512 votes. Bodare, a former runner-up in the 2019 Assembly election against Ganpat, faced opposition from the local Sena UBT workers who argued that fielding an outsider would lead to a loss. Known for his influence in Ulhasnagar, which constitutes about 20% of the constituency, Bodare struggled to secure broader support.

Sulbha had expressed confidence in her victory, citing her husband’s 15 years of work in the constituency. Ganpat, known for his control over the local cable business, had earned praise for helping residents during the Covid-19 pandemic and for supporting locals during the demolition of encroachments in the area.

Sulbha also received strong backing from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shrikant Shinde’s supporters. In a party meeting, Shrikant Shinde directed all party workers and corporators to respect the alliance and support Sulbha’s candidacy.

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