Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey joined the Congress on Thursday, September 19, in the presence of Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad. He is expected to contest from the Versova seat in the upcoming polls.
During the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, there was speculation that Pandey might run as an independent candidate. A 1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Pandey had considered contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the Mumbai North Central constituency following calls from residents of the area urging him to stand for election. However, he eventually chose not to contest.
Former Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey joins Congress
The BJP had fielded senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam for the seat, while Congress put forward Varsha Gaikwad, who ultimately won. Former IPS officer Pandey has been embroiled in controversies, with cases filed against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He is also believed to be close to Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT).
Sanjay Pandey was appointed Mumbai Police Commissioner on February 18, 2022, but his tenure was brief, as he retired on June 30 of the same year. A month after his retirement, he was arrested by the ED in connection with the NSE phone-tapping case. The CBI later arrested him in September 2022. After spending about five months in jail, Pandey was granted bail by the Delhi High Court on December 8, 2022.