Maharashtra Elections 2024: Ex-Mumbai Top Cop Sanjay Pandey To Contest From Versova, Announces 4 Candidates

As the Maharashtra state assembly elections are approaching, it is not only the veteran politicians announcing their candidatures, but former bureaucrats have also entered the fray. On Monday, former Mumbai police chief Sanjay Pandey announced that his new political outfit- Rashtriya Janhit Party will contest 10 assembly seats. He also announced four candidates, including him.

Speaking with the media in Nashik, Pandey said, "We are evaluating the seats across Maharashtra where we can contest. As of now, we have decided on four seats, namely, Shamrao Bhosale from Nashik's Deolali, Mangesh Bhoir from Virar and Mr Pawar from Wadala, Mumbai." Pandey announced that he will contest from the Versova seat in Mumbai.

Ready For Alliance

Pandey said the he will soon announce the remaining candidates. He also mentioned that his political outfit- the Rashtriya Janhit Party is yet to be officially registered, but it is under process. "Our party will fight for the welfare of retired government servants. We will also look at challenges faced by private employees and farmers," he said.

He also hinted at making alliance with partiies with similiar ideology. 'We are a secular front and are ready for talks for alliance," Pandey said speaking with the media.

Who Is Sanjay Pandey

The 1986 batch Indian Police Services (IPS) retired officer Sanjay Pandey has served in Maharashtra for over 30 years in various roles and has always been in the news. He is considered a close aid to the former chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Pandey was keen on contesting for the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, however, failed to get a ticket. He was in talks with the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) to contest from a Mumbai seat, reports say.

Recent Controversies

Days after his retirement, the former Mumbai Police Commissioner, Pandey was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in July and September 2022, respectively, in connection with the NSE phone tapping case. He spent nearly five months behind bars following his arrest. In May 2023, he got a relief from the Supreme Court as the apex court dismissed a plea filed by ED against bail granted to Pandey by Delhi High Court in an alleged money laundering case.