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With Cong distancing itself from him, Rohit Tilak likely to join Shinde-led Shiv Sena

Rohit Tilak was the only member of the Tilak family active in Congress after his grandfather Jayantrao Tilak.

3 min readPuneMar 10, 2026 10:14 PM IST

“I continued with party work and never refused any responsibility. However, the situation did not change and I had to stop party work due to the treatment given to me,” Rohit said. (File Photo)

With the Congress distancing itself from him since the Lokmanya Tilak award was conferred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former state Youth Congress chief Rohit Tilak, descendent of freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak, is cosying up to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena after being offered to contest Rajya Sabha seat by the Deputy CM.

Rohit Tilak was the only member of the Tilak family active in Congress after his grandfather Jayantrao Tilak. He continued the association of the Tilak family with Congress even when his aunt Mukta Tilak was with BJP, elected to PMC and being Pune mayor. She was also elected to the state assembly and, after her demise, her son Kunal Tilak has continued her legacy in BJP, elected to PMC as corporator.

“The annual Lokmanya Tilak award of the trust was started in 1983 and has been conferred to leaders from all sectors, including politics, based on their contribution to nation building. It was conferred on Congress leaders Manmohan Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee of BJP, RSS leader and many other political leaders. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred the award three years ago and since then the Congress has kept its distance from me,” Rohit said.

He said on several occasions he has explained his decision to the party leadership. “I finally got fed up and stopped working for Congress in the last two years. Instead I focused on social work of the Tilak family,” said Rohit.

The association of the Tilak family with Congress was from the pre-Independence era, he said. “Congress was a movement and Lokmanya Tilak was part of it. The association continued for generations and I was state youth Congress chief and had also contested Assembly elections twice as a Congress candidate.”

“I continued with party work and never refused any responsibility. However, the situation did not change and I had to stop party work due to the treatment given to me,” Rohit said.

He said there was no formal discussion with any other political party till date. “Recently, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde approached me to contest the Rajya Sabha election as Sena candidate. He considered a youth like me for Rajya Sabha and I also, after discussing it with close associates, decided to accept it,” he said.

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The Shiv Sena chief had declared his name as second Shiv Sena candidate for Rajya Sabha elections held recently but later the party decided not to contest as MVA had fielded NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar for the seat. “I was to file a nomination for Rajya Sabha election but the party later decided not to contest the seat. I am still keen to do social work under guidance of Eknath Shinde if given any opportunity in future,” said Rohit.

“I have not officially resigned from Congress membership but stopped working for party few years ago after false and stupid complaints continued to be made against me to the party leadership,” he said, adding there is no formal joining the Shiv Sena yet but would continue to work with the Deputy CM.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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