Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Just before elections, MLA Tanaji Sawant faced a political shock as his nephew, former Zilla Parishad Deputy Chairman Dhananjay Sawant, rebelled by filing as an independent candidate. Despite Tanaji’s aggressive campaign, Dhananjay won Jwala constituency by over 2,400 votes, dealing a blow to his uncle.
Opposing the BJP, Tanaji had fielded independent Shinde Sena candidates in 13 ZP seats in Paranda. Claiming injustice to him and his supporters, Dhananjay challenged Shinde Sena from the Jwala group, backed by the BJP. Meanwhile, Tanaji’s stronghold in Mugav village saw Ajit Pawar’s NCP candidate win, further weakening his position.
Of Tanaji’s 13 independent candidates, 8 won, though overall influence in ZP remains limited. During campaigning, Tanaji called his nephew “herder” and “supervisor”, warning him not to follow his father, while Dhananjay responded, “You’ve lost your edge; now watch my tantrum,” adding drama to the battle.