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Home / Columnist / Shailesh Gaikwad

Shailesh Gaikwad

Shailesh Gaikwad

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

Kharat’s network with the rich and powerful

Kharat’s network with the rich and powerful

Updated on Mar 22, 2026 23:52 IST

Enemy of the enemy

Shiv Sena(UBT) leader and MLC Anil Parab (HT PHOTO)

Updated on Mar 15, 2026 22:48 IST

Baramati plane crash: Unease within the NCP

Ajit Pawar died when the chartered flight he was travelling in crashed in Baramati on January 28, 2026. (HT)

Updated on Mar 9, 2026 01:29 IST

First test for deputy CM Sunetra Pawar

Pune, India - March 20, 2018: Sunetra Pawar in Women's special event at lane no. 8, Forennte, Koregaon Park in Pune, India, on Tuesday, March 20, 2018. (Photo by Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Feb 16, 2026 24:44 IST

NCP merger on backburner as Ajit faction denies proposal, Pawar group silent

Sunetra Pawar, wife of late deputy CM Ajit Pawar, took oath as deputy CM of Maharashtra at the Lok Bhavan in Mumbai last month.

Updated on Feb 15, 2026 06:18 IST

‘Sharad Pawar was to hand over reins to Ajitdada’

‘Sharad Pawar was to hand over reins to Ajitdada’

Updated on Feb 14, 2026 01:44 IST

Sharad Pawar-Parth bitterness over? What we know so far.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar pays tribute to late Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar during a visit at Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar's home.

Updated on Feb 9, 2026 06:13 IST

Senior NCP leaders on Pawar’s radar

Sharad Pawar, president of Nationalist Congress Party (SP) (Hindustan Times)

Updated on Feb 1, 2026 23:30 IST

With Sunetra elevation, tug of war between NCP factions hots up

Mumbai, India - Jan. 31, 2026: NCP leader Sunil Tatkare interacts Praful Patel after Sunetra Pawar was elected as new chief of NCP legislative party at Vidhan bhavan in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, January 31, 2026. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

Updated on Jan 31, 2026 23:30 IST

Sunetra Pawar to take oath as first woman deputy CM of Maharashtra at 5pm today

After Ajit Pawar's death, his wife Sunetra Pawar set to become Maharashtra’s first woman deputy chief minister

Updated on Jan 31, 2026 02:54 IST

Sunetra Pawar to be state’s first woman deputy CM, swearing-in today

Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar pays condolences to the family of late Maharashtra DCM Ajit Pawar, in Baramati on Friday. (@mahancpspeaks X)

Updated on Jan 31, 2026 01:06 IST

Uncertainty looms over Mahayuti after Ajit Pawar's sudden death in Baramati

In the short term, Ajit Pawar’s death is unlikely to affect the stability of Mahayuti, which has 230 lawmakers in the 288-member assembly.

Updated on Jan 29, 2026 03:43 IST

What Ajit Pawar’s sudden death means for Maharashtra politics

Mumbai, India. Nov 19, 2025 - Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra state, and Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra state, inaugurated the exhibition on the New Criminal Laws at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai. Senior government officials and top state police officers attended the event. The exhibition is open to the public for the next three days. Mumbai, India. Nov 19, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

Updated on Jan 28, 2026 23:04 IST

Once again, Raut brokers peace between Thackeray brothers

Mumbai, India. Jan 23, 2026- Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena (UBT) party, and Raj Thackeray, chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party, attended a programme at Shanmukhanand Auditorium in Matunga, Mumbai, to mark the beginning of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's birth centenary year. Mumbai, India. Jan 23, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

Updated on Jan 26, 2026 01:24 IST

Missing Sena (UBT) corporator back with party, was on a ‘temple visit’

Missing Sena (UBT) corporator back with party, was on a ‘temple visit’

Updated on Jan 23, 2026 24:26 IST

Missing Shiv Sena (UBT) Mumbai corporator Sarita Mhaske back with party

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Milind Narvekar met Sarita Mhaske around midnight. (X)

Updated on Jan 22, 2026 03:47 IST

MNS backs Sena in KDMC, Shinde makes bid for control without BJP in Maharashtra

Raj Thackeray, Chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and Uddhav Thackeray, Chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), reunited after 20 years at a public rally at NSCI Dome, Worli in Mumbai.

Updated on Jan 22, 2026 08:19 IST

Thackeray, Fadnavis: What the Maha civic poll verdict means for key leaders

L: Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray | R: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis

Updated on Jan 17, 2026 04:52 IST

Sena versus Sena: Thackerays retain trust of Marathi manoos; Shinde to lesser extent

iMumbai, India - January 16, 2026: Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray greets winning candidates from Dharavi area such as T.M. Jagdish, Archana Avirat Shinde, Joseph Koli and their followers, at Thackeray's residence at Bandra east in Mumbai, India, on Friday, January 16, 2025. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Updated on Jan 17, 2026 02:12 IST

‘If we were guilty of corruption, we would have been allies of BJP’: Aaditya

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray

Updated on Jan 13, 2026 05:41 IST

Banking on the Ladki Bahins

Women expressing their happiness over the deposit of ?3000 in women's accounts under the Maharashtra Government's Ladki Bahin Yojana in Mumbai, India, on Friday, August 16, 2024. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Updated on Jan 11, 2026 23:58 IST

‘This battle is about the Maharashtra Dharma’: Uddhav Thackeray

iMumbai, India - January 08, 2026: (UBT) chef Uddhav Thackeray intract with media at Matoshree, Bandra in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, January 08, 2025. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Updated on Jan 9, 2026 24:38 IST

Ajit Pawar’s surprise attack on BJP

Mumbai: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis with Shive Sena chief Eknath Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar at the Governor house to stake claim for formation of the new government, in Mumbai, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade) (PTI12_04_2024_000278A) (PTI)

Updated on Jan 5, 2026 24:38 IST

Bonhomie in Baramati

Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani being felicitated by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during the inauguration of the Sharadchandra Pawar Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence at Vidya Pratishthan, in Baramati on Sunday. Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, Sharad Pawar, also present (ANI)

Updated on Dec 29, 2025 24:36 IST

A bitter irony: Thackerays seek Muslim support to survive

Mumbai, India. Dec 24, 2025 - After 20 years, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) party president Uddhav Thackeray reunited ahead of the upcoming BMC elections. During a press conference held on Wednesday in Worli, the Thackeray brothers announced a formal alliance for the BMC and other municipal corporation elections.Mumbai, India. Dec 24, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

Updated on Dec 28, 2025 01:00 IST

Ideology on hold as parties do the math for Maharashtra’s civic polls

Pune, India - October 29, 2018: Nationalist Congress Party leaders Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar at the samvidhan bachao (save the Constitution) rally organised at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch on Monday. in Pune, India, on Monday, October 29, 2018. (Photo by Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Updated on Dec 27, 2025 01:46 IST

Maharashtra: End of the road for the MVA?

In the most crucial civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Uddhav Thackeray has teamed up with his cousin Raj’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) rather than the Congress (Hindustan Times)

Updated on Dec 26, 2025 24:08 IST

Triangular fight in offing to gain control of Mumbai

BMC headquarters (Hindustan Times)

Updated on Dec 24, 2025 23:32 IST

As cousins Thackeray join hands, Shinde’s Sena stands to gain

Mumbai, India, July 05, 2025: Raj Thackeray, Chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and Uddhav Thackeray, Chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), reunited after 20 years at a public rally at NSCI Dome, Worli in Mumbai. The event, titled "Awaj Marathicha" (Voice of the Marathi), was jointly organised by Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS to mark the withdrawal of government resolutions (GRs) related to the three-language policy in primary schools. Mumbai, India. 05, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

Updated on Dec 24, 2025 01:10 IST

Shinde surprises BJP, betters his position

Eknath Shinde (HT PHOTO)

Updated on Dec 21, 2025 23:53 IST

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