Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday unveiled its first list of 17 candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, including Sanjog Waghere, designated as the party's nominee for the Maval Lok Sabha constituency.
Waghere transitioned to Shiv Sena (UBT) from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar in December last year. Hailing from Pimpri Gaon, Waghere served as a three-time corporator of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and formerly held the mayoral position in the industrial city.
Previously, Waghere held the role of the NCP's Pimpri-Chinchwad unit president. Post the party's division, he maintained a low-profile stance and reduced his political engagements, subsequently aligning himself with the Ajit Pawar-led faction.
With a family deeply entrenched in politics, Waghere's wife, Sunita Waghere, secured two terms as a corporator and chaired the PCMC standing committee. Furthermore, his father, Bhiku-Patil Waghere, served as the mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad.
In his decision to switch allegiance from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP to Shiv Sena (UBT), Waghere cited the populace's grievances, including inflation and unemployment, alongside his discontent with the ruling party's decisions and perceived constitutional violations. "I was not happy with the way they were going about their job," he had said.
Upon joining Shiv Sena (UBT), Waghere was urged by the party's chief Uddhav Thackeray to unseat sitting MP Shrirang Barne in the Lok Sabha elections. “Looking at the enthusiasm of party workers, including those who joined the party today, I think I will not have to campaign for the Maval Lok Sabha seat. But I will certainly campaign for our party candidate as we are set to win Maval,” Thackeray had said.
Barne, once aligned with the undivided Sena, had previously defeated Ajit Pawar’s son Parth by a significant margin in the 2019 elections. However, following the Sena's split, Barne joined the Eknath Shinde-led faction. This election, however, poses a challenge for Barne's re-nomination, as BJP and Ajit Pawar's NCP, key allies in the Mahayuti coalition, are vying for the Maval seat.
Blast from the past
- Shrirang Barne secured victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections by defeating Ajit Pawar’s son Parth with a substantial margin of two lakh votes
- In 2014, Barne emerged victorious by triumphing over PWP candidate Laxman Jagtap and NCP nominee Rahul Narvekar
- Sena's inaugural MP from Maval in 2009 was Gajanan Babar, who succumbed to Covid in 2022. He clinched victory against NCP nominee Azam Pansare
