Pimpri-Chinchwad: Amidst the high-voltage preparations for the upcoming Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) elections, former PCMC Mayor Sanjog Waghere has resigned from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). Waghere resigned from his post of Pimpri-Chinchwad City Chief of Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday in a shocking move.
Uddhav Sena leaders within the city reported that Waghere submitted his resignation from the position of Pimpri-Chinchwad City Chief and primary membership of the party to MLC Sachin Ahir, who serves as Communications Chief for the party. Sources close to Sanjog Waghere have said that he is expected to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming days and will represent the national party in the PCMC polls.
Sanjog Waghere was formerly with the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and served as its Pimpri-Chinchwad City President too. He was once known as a very close aide to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. However, before the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, he left Ajit Pawar's side to join Shiv Sena (UBT). He contested the Maval Lok Sabha seat on an Uddhav Sena ticket. Although he campaigned strongly, he was unsuccessful, as he lost to Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s incumbent MP, Shrirang Barne, by over 96,000 votes.
He left the party despite being close to Ajit Pawar, as the NCP denied him a ticket, as the party was contesting the Lok Sabha 2024 elections as Mahayuti, and Mahayuti gave the ticket to incumbent MP Barne. Waghere served as PCMC mayor for the Indian National Congress from 1995 to 1996. He left Congress and joined NCP when the party was formed by former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sharad Pawar in 1999. In the 2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, Waghere led the Uddhav Sena in Pimpri-Chinchwad; however, the party failed to win a seat in any of the city’s four assembly constituencies.
Following the Assembly elections, there were rumours that Waghere might return to his home in the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, especially after he was only appointed as the In-charge City Chief of the Thackeray group and not given a ticket to contest for the Assembly elections. Furthermore, his wife, Usha Waghere, who is a former chairperson of the PCMC Standing Committee, became active in the NCP and was appointed as the organiser for the Pimpri Assembly constituency.
Despite expectations that he would reunite with Ajit Pawar, sources close to Sanjog Waghere said that he has instead decided to join the BJP. The speculations are even more as his resignation decision follows a recent meeting with him, BJP Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge, and BJP Pimpri-Chinchwad City President Shatrughna Kate. Shortly after this meeting, Waghere officially tendered his resignation from Shiv Sena (UBT).
Speaking about his resignation, Waghere confirmed that he has resigned from the post. When asked about speculations about him and the BJP, Waghere said, “I will clarify my future stand within the next two days."
