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
Big brother BJP’s signal to allies
The BJP asserted dominance over allies Shinde's Sena and Pawar's NCP, signaling a shift in power dynamics as Fadnavis returns as chief minister
Updated on Dec 09, 2024 09:13 AM IST
Fadnavis returns as Maharashtra CM but with challenges and two tricky allies
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis faces challenges of fulfilling election promises amidst rising debt while managing tensions with ambitious allies
Updated on Dec 05, 2024 08:55 AM IST
Eknath Shinde's power play and ‘home’ truths
Eknath Shinde pushes for the home department amid power shifts in Maharashtra, while speculation rises on the new finance minister and leadership changes
Updated on Dec 02, 2024 09:13 AM IST
Will Uddhav Thackeray leave MVA after Maharashtra assembly election defeat?
Party leader faces mounting pressure from cadre to go solo in upcoming local body elections
Updated on Nov 29, 2024 08:50 AM IST
Tussle over CM’s post widens Shinde-Fadnavis divide in Mahayuti
The animosity between the two, feel Mahayuti insiders, could become a thorn in the flesh for the alliance, if not addressed with equanimity
Updated on Nov 27, 2024 09:02 AM IST
The top trio in Mahayuti and their synergy
With the new Mahayuti government returning to power, legislators and Mantralaya officers are left wondering how the synergy will be
Updated on Nov 25, 2024 08:55 AM IST
Fadnavis who led from the front, is favourite for the chief minister’s post
Devendra Fadnavis, who led the BJP to a historic win in Maharashtra, is expected to reclaim the chief minister's position after past setbacks.
Updated on Nov 24, 2024 04:59 AM IST
Brand Thackeray no longer immune to whims of voters
Shinde’s Sena won 57 seats, as opposed to Sena(UBT)’s 20 — this should worry Thackeray about the Sena mantle moving to his rival
Updated on Nov 24, 2024 07:30 AM IST
Who will take charge as Maharashtra's next CM? Shinde and Fadnavis frontrunners
Shiv Sena leaders advocate for Shinde's continuation, arguing that the election was fought under his leadership and voters have endorsed the Mahayuti government
Published on Nov 23, 2024 02:32 PM IST
In a BJP vs Congress, Sena vs Sena, NCP vs NCP contest, NDA comes out on top
The Mahayuti alliance is heading towards a decisive victory, leading in 216 out of 288 seats in the assembly election. BJP alone is ahead in 127 constituencies
Published on Nov 23, 2024 11:28 AM IST
Maharashtra polls: Uddhav or Shinde, whose Sena will Thane choose?
Since the Sena split into two factions in 2022, the one headed by the son of the Shiv Sena founder, Uddhav Thackeray, is facing a massive challenge
Updated on Nov 20, 2024 09:19 AM IST
Campaign for Maharashtra election ends with Rahul Gandhi's swipe against BJP
Maharashtra's election campaign concluded, with Rahul Gandhi targeting the ruling alliance over the Dharavi project, while the BJP emphasizes welfare schemes
Updated on Nov 19, 2024 09:09 AM IST
Why the Maharashtra election is not just about electing a new state government
In the Lok Sabha election, MVA won 30 seats while Mahayuti could win only 17. One went to a Congress rebel who won as an independent and later joined the MVA.
Published on Nov 18, 2024 07:44 PM IST
BJP's shifting stance on Fadnavis as CM: Rethink or a tactical move?
BJP shifts stance on Maharashtra CM pick post Shah's remarks, aiming to appease allies amid opposition campaigns targeting Fadnavis
Updated on Nov 18, 2024 09:13 AM IST
Will ‘batenge toh katenge’ and ‘vote jihad’ solve people’s problems: Thackeray
Thackeray said BJP leaders were resorting to slogans like “batenge toh katenge” because they have no answer to unemployment, the agrarian crisis and inflation
Updated on Nov 17, 2024 12:51 PM IST
‘Maharashtra, Bihar experiments have belied allegations that BJP harms allies’
BJP's Vinod Tawde discusses party prospects in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Maratha agitation impacts, and alliances strengthening BJP's image
Updated on Nov 12, 2024 11:39 AM IST
MVA poll manifesto promises jobs, subsidies, caste census, remote working policy
The alliance will initiate the process to fill up 250,000 vacancies in the state government within 100 days
Updated on Nov 11, 2024 07:14 AM IST
Devendra Fadnavis is back in the reckoning
Amit Shah confirms Devendra Fadnavis as BJP's face in Maharashtra elections, while Shiv Sena (UBT) faces challenges in key constituencies.
Updated on Nov 11, 2024 10:13 AM IST
Women, youth at centre of MVA’s Maharashtra poll manifesto
The MVA said it will conduct elections to 27 municipal corporations and local bodies which have been pending for a long time, if it is voted to power in the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Published on Nov 10, 2024 03:41 PM IST
HT Interview: Our fight with Ajit Pawar is ideological, says Supriya Sule
Supriya Sule, NCP-SP leader, vows to fight for truth against BJP, focusing on rebuilding her party after a split with cousin Ajit Pawar
Updated on Nov 09, 2024 01:25 PM IST
An unwanted goof-up for Mahayuti
The MNS-Shiv Sena dispute over candidate Sada Sarvanakar threatens electoral strategies in Mumbai, complicating alliances and prospects for all parties
Updated on Nov 04, 2024 09:24 AM IST
Maharashtra polls: Anil Deshmukh’s book set to stir pot, target Fadnavis
Deshmukh spent 14 months in jail and where the idea of writing his own version of events—a revenge tome—germinated.
Updated on Oct 29, 2024 02:21 PM IST
Maharashtra polls: In Bandra East, it's Siddique’s son vs Thackeray’s nephew
Vandre East sees a fierce contest between Zeeshan Siddique (NCP) and Varun Sardesai (Shiv Sena UBT), intensified by recent violence and political rivalry
Updated on Oct 26, 2024 09:12 AM IST
Mahim assembly seat: Bitter tussle or will family prevail?
Amit Thackeray's electoral debut in Mahim marks a high-stakes, triangular contest against seasoned rivals from Shiv Sena factions
Updated on Oct 24, 2024 09:08 AM IST
Sandeep Naik, Nilesh Rane set trend for kin of senior leaders swapping parties
In Maharashtra, political loyalties shift as candidates seek assembly election tickets, with key figures switching between major coalitions
Updated on Oct 23, 2024 09:15 AM IST
Vidarbha, MMR-Konkan likely to be decisive for Mahayuti and MVA
Though the MVA has a lead, there is less than 1 percent difference between the coalitions – MVA received 43.71 percent votes while Mahayuti got 43.55 percent
Updated on Oct 22, 2024 08:56 AM IST
Defections pick up pace ahead of Maharashtra assembly election
Three of Ajit Pawar’s legislators, Deepak Chavan, Rajendra Shingne and Satish Chavan have returned to Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP)
Updated on Oct 21, 2024 08:06 AM IST
Aaditya Thackeray: Alliance is important, not Chief Minister's post
If MVA comes to power, it will launch a criminal investigation into decisions taken by the Shinde government in the last few days, Thackeray tells HT
Updated on Oct 19, 2024 08:49 AM IST
Not just Pawar and Thackeray, Maharashtra polls will determine future of many
The upcoming election on November 20 is shaping up to be a critical juncture for the state's political landscape, with the recent splits in two regional parties
Published on Oct 16, 2024 10:10 AM IST
Maharashtra assembly election: A complex political landscape emerges
Unlike the national elections, which presented a clear battle between two narratives, the state faces a mix of multiple issues and factors
Published on Oct 16, 2024 09:59 AM IST