Shailesh Gaikwad is political editor and heads the political bureau in Hindustan Times' Mumbai edition.In his career of over 20 years, he has covered Maharashtra politics, state government and urban governance issues.
Articles by Shailesh Gaikwad
The unease within the ruling alliance
CM Eknath Shinde & Deputy CM Ajit Pawar are unhappy with BJP over fewer Lok Sabha seats but lack bargaining power. BJP takes practical approach based on assessments.
Updated on Mar 11, 2024 08:32 AM IST
Maha News | The anatomy of an impending, likely, fall
Barely a fortnight to go before the Lok Sabha elections are announced, the Congress is in a mess in the state where it was hoping to turn the tables on the BJP
Published on Feb 26, 2024 06:32 PM IST
Sacrifices for the big brother
Maharashtra coalitions finalize seat-sharing as BJP plans to contest 30 seats independently, causing tensions within ruling alliance. Controversy over BJP chief's remarks stirs opposition. Speculations arise over netas defecting to ruling alliance, including NCP leader Tope and Shiv Sena's Waikar. Shinde Sena MLA faces probe over bragging about tiger tooth.
Updated on Feb 26, 2024 08:06 AM IST
Manohar Joshi, a Shiv Sena loyalist who excelled at consensus building
A soft-spoken skilled political manager, Manohar Joshi was the perfect foil for the more charismatic and aggressive Bal Thackeray
Updated on Feb 24, 2024 08:02 AM IST
Maratha reservation bill passed but tough legal battle lies ahead
Maratha quota: This is the third attempt by state government to give reservation quota to Marathas, a politically and socially dominant community in the state.
Updated on Feb 21, 2024 09:56 AM IST
Fault lines within the Pawar family
The fault lines within the Pawars are evident in Pune district, especially in their family bastion Baramati, which both uncle and nephew seem keen to hold on to
Published on Feb 19, 2024 06:11 PM IST
Maha News | The final war between uncle and nephew
The fight between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar will be the highlight of the elections in the state. Only one of them may survive politically
Published on Feb 19, 2024 02:56 PM IST
Ashok Chavan on moving to BJP: Not possible to change your ideology overnight
Ashok Chavan spoke about the shift to the BJP and his disenchantment with the Congress in an interview to HT
Updated on Feb 16, 2024 11:10 AM IST
BJP eyes LS, Cong plays Dalit card while NCP springs a surprise
Besides Chavan, the BJP fielded Medha Kulkarni, a former legislator from Pune city and a locally popular leader. Kulkarni was sitting MLA when she was denied a ticket in 2019 in order to field the then state BJP president Chandrakant Patil from her Kothrud constituency, a safe seat for the party
Updated on Feb 15, 2024 07:40 AM IST
Marathwada stalwart whose departure will hit Congress’s prospects and morale
Former chief minister Ashok Chavan’s decision to leave the party is a major blow for the Congress which has been trying to revive its organisation in the state where the party was conceived.
Updated on Feb 13, 2024 05:35 PM IST
Why Ashok Chavan’s departure will hit Congress’ prospects in Maharashtra
A Congress leader said that about half of the party’s current strength of 44 MLAs are on good terms with Ashok Chavan.
Updated on Feb 12, 2024 08:42 PM IST
Ajit’s secularism, Uddhav’s Hindutva
Even though he joined the BJP-led alliance, Ajit Pawar has been insisting that his party would continue to be a secular party. To that effect, he has been avoiding sharing dais with RSS leaders
Updated on Feb 12, 2024 07:34 AM IST
Pawar, Thackeray factions to invoke Maharashtra’s asmita to counter BJP
Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, who previously joined forces to prevent the BJP from coming to power, now find themselves in a similar situation as their parties have split. Both leaders are likely to invoke "Maharashtrachi asmita" or pride of Maharashtra in the upcoming elections. They claim that the BJP is conspiring against Maharashtra and targeting regional parties. The two factions are planning separate public meetings but may also hold joint rallies in some places.
Updated on Feb 08, 2024 07:00 AM IST
Can the Opposition’s broad coalition win against the BJP-led alliance?
The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi joined the rainbow family that stands opposed to the saffron alliance. Will this alliance stand a chance in Maharashtra’s politics?
Published on Feb 05, 2024 06:43 PM IST
It’s time for Rajya Sabha elections again
According to the BJP camp, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is keen on fielding a fourth candidate with an aim to snatch Congress votes and defeat the latter’s candidate. Fadnavis has apparently discussed this with the top bosses in Delhi. If this happens, there are apprehensions of cross-voting in the MVA camp
Updated on Feb 05, 2024 07:36 AM IST
Shinde managed to pacify Marathas for now, but will it lead to bigger problems?
CM Eknath Shinde managed to pacify Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, and the BJP, the main political player in the state, is playing a balancing act
Updated on Jan 30, 2024 06:45 PM IST
Shinde stole the show but…
Significantly, none of the Maratha ministers from BJP who have been dealing with the Maratha reservation issue—Chandrakant Patil and Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil—were involved in the process. Shinde’s cabinet colleagues who are unsure of the decision also point out that any fallout too would be the responsibility of the CM now
Updated on Jan 29, 2024 07:56 AM IST
Will Eknath Shinde’s move lead to Maratha Vs OBC war in state?
Shinde's ability to lead the ruling alliance against the MVA coalition has been questioned, as also his capacity to run the government.
Updated on Jan 28, 2024 10:05 AM IST
Different shades of saffron
With the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena are embracing saffron politics, while the NCP is in a tricky situation, not fully embracing Hindutva but not ignoring it either. Meanwhile, the Congress and NCP are clear in their stand, and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena is using its own version of Hindutva. The question remains which shade of saffron will gain public support. Additionally, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is trying to build an alliance with the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi for the upcoming elections, and the development of Mumbai Port Trust's idle land is still awaiting approval. Lastly, the disqualification petitions filed by rival NCP factions are being heard by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, and the Pawar faction is prepared for a possible court battle.
Updated on Jan 22, 2024 07:48 AM IST
Maha News| Milind Deora's departure is the denouement everyone was expecting
Though Milind Deora hasn’t won an election since 2014, his surname carries heft. Things became complicated since the formation of the MVA alliance, experts say
Updated on Jan 21, 2024 12:37 PM IST
Sena versus Sena: Final round between Thackeray and Shinde begins
On the legal front, the SC’s decision will be the clincher, for the political front, the upcoming elections will give the leaders their mandate
Updated on Jan 15, 2024 08:34 PM IST
Deora’s exit shows Cong failed to resolve leadership crisis in Mumbai
Milind Deora, a former Mumbai unit chief and MP, has quit the Congress party, severing his family's 55-year association with the party.
Updated on Jan 15, 2024 05:45 AM IST
Musical chairs ahead of LS polls
Some more defections related to Lok Sabha calculations are expected in the coming days, according to insiders from the ruling camp. For instance, BJP’s assessment says the prospects of its Sangli MP Sanjay Patil are not good
Updated on Jan 15, 2024 06:52 AM IST
‘The ECI record does not bear out the claim that Uddhav Thackeray was chief of the party’
These allegations have been made for the last one year, ever since I started adjudicating this issue, perhaps with the intention of putting pressure on my decision-making process, says Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar
Updated on Jan 12, 2024 08:26 AM IST
What does Assembly Speaker’s verdict on Shiv Sena mean for Maharashtra politics
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s verdict on the Shiv Sena may set the tone for the electoral battle in the days to come
Updated on Jan 11, 2024 06:47 AM IST
What to expect in Maharashtra’s political landscape this year
A national election and state polls, as well as judgments over the NCP split and the legality of Eknath Shinde’s CM post. 2024 promises to be a juggernaut, too
Updated on Jan 01, 2024 08:25 PM IST
Mission from promoting drone use in state
The government has prepared a five-year implementation plan based on a report by a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Bombay
Updated on Dec 30, 2023 06:56 AM IST
Maharashtra notifies drone mission, seeks to become global hub for drone tech
A committee headed by the chief secretary will oversee the implementation of a five year plan drafted on the basis of an IIT-B report
Published on Dec 29, 2023 07:05 PM IST
Mega rally in Nagpur today shows Maha central to Cong’s poll agenda
arlier in the day, Congress announced that Rahul Gandhi would commence the second leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra, titled Bharat Nyay Yatra, from Manipur on January 14. The yatra is slated to culminate in Mumbai on March 20
Updated on Dec 28, 2023 06:30 AM IST
Uddhav Thackeray emerging as a key player in INDIA?
Uddhav Thackeray is emerging as a key player in the INDIA coalition, holding closed-door chats with AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee.
Updated on Dec 25, 2023 01:20 PM IST