‘I will make all possible efforts’: Ravindra Dhangekar takes onus to revive Shinde’s Shiv Sena in Pune

Ravindra Dhangekar, who joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in March, has served as a corporator in the Pune Municipal Corporation for four terms.

Ravindra Dhangekar, who started his political career in the Shiv Sena, joined the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after Raj Thackeray parted ways with the Shiv Sena. (Source: File)

Months after he switched over from the Congress to the Shiv Sena, former legislator Ravindra Dhangekar was, on Tuesday, appointed the metropolitan chief of the Eknath Shinde-led party with the hope of reviving it in the urban area of Pune ahead of the civic body polls in Maharashtra.

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will contest the civic polls for the first time after the split in the Shiv Sena. It contested the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Ajit Pawar-led National Congress Party (NCP). However, the Eknath Shinde-led party won 7 seats, and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) got 9 seats in the Lok Sabha elections last year. Within months, there was a complete turnaround as the Shinde Sena won 57 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections as against 20 seats won by Shiv Sena (UBT).

In a letter issued on his appointment as the Pune metropolitan chief of party, the Shiv Sena said it was being done with the blessings of late Balasaheb Thackeray, and at the directions of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shinde.

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“I will make all possible efforts for the growth of the Shiv Sena in Pune. I will come true to the confidence shown by party leadership in me,” said Dhangekar. “I want to work with every Shiv Sena leader to increase the strength of the party in Pune. I will get everyone together and move forward,” he added.

The Shiv Sena has failed to cross the double-digit number of corporators in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in the last 10 years. The Shiv Sena has been in sharp decline for a long time, with no senior leaders serious about the party’s prospects in Pune. It had failed to win a single seat in the last Assembly elections.

On the other hand, its alliance partner BJP, has increased its strength in Pune, and bagged power in PMC in 2017. Another alliance partner, NCP, is strong in Pune as party chief Ajit Pawar hails from the city, and is the Guardian Minister of the district.

Dhangekar, who started his political career in the Shiv Sena, joined the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) after Raj Thackeray parted ways with the Shiv Sena. He later joined the Congress after being allegedly ignored by the party. Dhangekar was then elected to the Maharashtra Assembly in the Kasba Peth bypoll in 2023 but lost in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls.

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Dhangekar’s popularity rose when he defeated Hemant Rasane of the BJP in the 2023 bypoll in Kasba Peth Assembly seat, which has been a bastion of the saffron party. The seat was vacated due to the death of BJP legislator Mukta Tilak. He was also the Congress candidate from Pune in the Lok Sabha elections, but was defeated by BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol.

He has served as a corporator in PMC for four terms, and is known to be popular in his electoral area for doing work for poor citizens.

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