Ganpat Gaikwad’s Wife Manages the Political Battlefield for Him; Says the Shooting Happened Out of Frustration

Amid speculations of BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad’s wife Sulabha Gaikwad contesting assembly elections, LokmatTimes.com spoke to the housewife- turned political campaigner who has now entered the political battle as her husband is in the judicial custody due to alleged shooting incident. She asserted that the final decision to contest the polls will rest on the BJP high command but she will continue to actively take part in all the ‘jansamparka’ activities and re-build the party in Kalyan. She confessed that she doesn’t have any personal political ambitions but is awaiting justice for her husband. She also slammed Shiv Sena leader Mahesh Gaikwad for instigating her husband to fire shots in the police station on February 2 and troubling her family over the Dwarli land dispute. She revealed that women in Dwarli were paid by Mahesh Gaikwad to tell a lie and grab their land illegally.

Since last 2 to 3 weeks, Mrs. Gaikwad is holding meetings with party officials and workers in the Kalyan East constituency. “Everything is quite new for me. But I am doing this for my husband and the party. Pending developmental works are on my focus now. Whether I will get a ticket or not, everything is dependent on central leadership,” Gaikwad told LokmatTimes.com. On asked about the tragic firing incident, she said, “On Feb. 2. my son Vaibhav was waiting at the police station since 4 pm to lodge the FIR against Mahesh Gaikwad’s goondagiri and fake papers of Dwarli land. Police was not interested to register FIR and Mahesh brought 200 to 300 goons along with him. They were misbehaving with my son and Mahesh instigated my husband. Everything happened under frustration.”

There were allegations that Ganpat Gaikwad was trying to grab land in Dwarli village, which was opposed by the local women. Later, he shot at Mahesh Gaikwad who was supporting these women. “There is no truth in these allegations. We won the land case in court too. We have total right over the land. The woman were paid by Mahesh Gaikwad to defame my husband. He did a business of making fake documents.” On asked why her husband alleged that CM Eknath Shinde is creating a "haven for criminals" in Maharashtra, Sulabha said, “I don’t have any idea about this. But my husband has time and again complained against Mahesh that he was obstructing developmental works in the city. We will follow the alliance dharma but wont tolerate any wrongdoings.”

Shiv Sena leader from Kalyan Prashant Bote told LokmatTimes.com, “It is completely false that Mahesh Gaikwad brought 200 to 300 people outside police station. Mahesh ji was there along with 4 to 5 karyakartas. Instead, Ganpat and Vaibhav brought 200 to 300 people along with them. No one from our side touched his son Vaibhav. It is completely clear who fired the shots.” Mahesh Gaikwad’s supporters on the other hand are demanding a strict punishment against Ganpat Gaikwad. “He should be hanged to death. Such people with criminal mindset deserve strict punishement,” told a local woman supporter outside his office in Kalyan.

Mahesh Gaikwad was discharged from the Jupiter hospital on February 26 but still recovering from the injuries and is advised complete bed rest. Ganpat Gaikwad is in the judicial custody and his son Vaibhav is still absconding. Following the shooting incident, opposition parties slammed the state government saying there is no law and order situation and is the start of new goondaraj. Due to the Ulhasnagar firing incident, there were obvious talks that everything is not okay between the Shinde Sena and BJP in Kalyan. With Lok Sabha and state assembly elections coming up, another tussle is yet to be seen between the two alliance partners. Not long ago, local BJP leaders raised objections to the candidacy of Shrikant Shinde, son of the Shiv Sena MP and Chief Minister, for the forthcoming elections. They called on senior party leaders to put forth a BJP nominee instead. The BJP branch had passed a resolution against Shrikant Shinde, highlighting his domineering attitude and neglect of party members but later, there was a patch up. Ganpad Gaikwad had also suggested that the  party field its Lok sabha candidate from Kalyan. It will be interesting to see whether his wife will contest the assembly polls or the party gives ticket to some other member. “We don’t want goons to be our MPs and MLAs. If BJP encourages such people with criminal tendencies, it wont be a party with difference and will loose its glory,” tell Dilip Sakhre, a Kalyan resident.