Ravindra Dhangekar, the incumbent Congress MLA from Pune's Kasba Peth, has been renominated by the party for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly polls. In an exclusive interview with The Free Press Journal, Dhangekar discussed key issues in his constituency, such as traffic congestion and rising crime rate. He addressed competition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), as well as the internal conflicts within the Congress. Responding to BJP leader Ganesh Bidkar's accusations that his wife had seized Waqf land worth ₹100 crore, Dhangekar challenged Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state's home minister, to put him behind bars if the allegations were found to be true.
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'I thank the Congress for keeping faith in me'
Kasba Peth was considered a fortress of the BJP as the saffron party had held this Assembly seat for over two decades. However, after Mukta Tilak died in 2022, a bypoll was held, and against all odds, Dhangekar defeated BJP nominee Hemant Rasane and became an MLA. After the renomination for the upcoming polls, Dhangekar said, "I thank the Congress for reposing faith in me. I also thank the alliance partners — Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP)."
'I stay away from politics of caste and religion'
"In 30 years of being in politics, I have worked for society. It is my duty to serve the people irrespective of what caste or religion they belong to. I believe in humanity. So whether a Kulkarni comes to me or a Khan, I have equally helped them and will do so in the future. Pune is the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, here everyone stays in harmony. I stay away from politics of caste and religion," said Dhangekar.
'BJP only cared about coming to power'
Kasba Peth faces many issues due to its narrow lanes and old dilapidated wadas. When asked what Dhangekar would do if elected once again, he said, "The BJP was ruling here for the last many years. However, they only cared about coming to power and did nothing for the people. Where 10 people used to stay in a wada, 100 began staying there. The population in this area has increased significantly, putting a lot of stress on resources. In the last 16 months, I tried to do my best. I also raised various issues in the Assembly. If the people give me another chance, I will definitely do much better work for them." Talking about the rising crime rate in his constituency, where former Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) corporator Vanraj Andekar was killed, Dhangekar said, "The first thing that must be done is to change the home minister. His focus is not on the state but on politics."
'Accusations are totally false'
BJP's Ganesh Bidkar has alleged that Dhangekar's wife Pratibha and a few others have illegally seized a Waqf board property worth ₹100 crore which is located on Laxmi Road. Responding to this, the Kasba MLA said, "The accusations are totally false. Those who are making these accusations are themselves thieves. I dare Fadnavis to thoroughly investigate this matter and if I am found guilty, put me behind bars."
'Ladki Bahin scheme is a farce'
The Mahayuti government's Ladki Bahin scheme is totally a farce, alleged Dhangekar. He said, "A container of cooking oil costs ₹2,400. So how is the ₹1,500 helping anyone? On one side, you are increasing the prices of every item including salt, sugar, cooking gas and flour, and on the other hand, you are claiming to empower women. Is the government giving money from their own pockets? They are giving from the taxes the people are paying. They are taking money from one hand and giving from the other on the eve of the elections. Meanwhile, the schemes that the Congress party had introduced during their reign are still running. People of the state understand this."
'MVA will cross the magic figure of 145'
The BJP has renominated Rasane, while MNS has given candidature to Ganesh Bhokare in Kasba Peth. Besides, some Congress leaders are upset as they were seeking a ticket to contest. Talking about the challenges ahead of him, Dhangekar said, "This is a democracy; everyone has a right to contest the elections. I have worked for the people and I know I will be rewarded for it." "The MVA will cross the magic figure of 145," he concluded.
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