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{{Short description|Indian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ravindra Dhangekar
| office = Member of [[Maharashtra Legislative Assembly]]
| image =
| predecessor = [[Mukta Tilak]]
| successor = [[Hemant Rasane]]
| party = [[Shiv Sena]] {{small|(10 March 2025-Present)}}
| other_party = [[Indian National Congress]] {{small|(2017-2025)}}<br/> [[Maharashtra Navnirman Sena]] {{small|(2006-2017)}}<br/>[[Shiv Sena]] {{small|(1997-2006)}}
| constituency1 = [[Kasba Peth Assembly constituency|Kasba Peth]]
| term_start = 2 March 2023
| term_end = 26 November 2024
}}
'''Ravindra Hemraj Dhangekar''' is an Indian politician from Pune, who previously served as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the [[Kasba Peth Assembly constituency]].<ref name="IndianExpress2">{{cite web |title=Kasba Peth bypoll: Who is Ravindra Dhangekar, the Congress candidate who defeated BJP in its bastion? |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/kasba-peth-bypoll-who-is-ravindra-dhangekar-the-congress-candidate-who-defeated-bjp-in-its-bastion-8470730/ |website=The Indian Express |date=2 March 2023 |access-date=15 June 2024}}</ref> He won the seat in a [[by-election]] in March 2023, which was necessitated by the death of the incumbent BJP MLA [[Mukta Tilak]].<ref name="TOI">{{cite web |title=Maharashtra bypoll elections 2023 schedule: Kasba Peth by-election important dates, polling result, counting details |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/maharashtra-bypoll-elections-2023-schedule-kasba-peth-by-election-important-dates-polling-result-counting-details/articleshow/97164337.cms |website=The Times of India |date=23 January 2023 |access-date=15 June 2024}}</ref> Dhangekar's victory on a Congress ticket was seen as a significant upset, ending the BJP's 28-year hold on the constituency.<ref name="HindustanTimes">{{cite web |title=Kasba Peth bypoll: Congress' Ravindra Dhangekar wins, ends BJP's 28-year reign |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/pune-news/kasba-peth-bypoll-congress-ravindra-dhangekar-wins-ends-bjp-s-28-year-reign-101677688073282.html |website=Hindustan Times |date=2 March 2023 |access-date=15 June 2024}}</ref> However, he lost the assembly elections from Kasba Peth to BJP candidate the following year.

Following his victory in the by-election, Dhangekar was chosen as the Indian National Congress candidate for the Pune Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 general elections.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/> He competed against Murlidhar Mohol of the BJP but was not successful.<ref name="FinancialExpress">{{cite web |title=Pune Lok Sabha Election Results 2024 Highlights: BJP's Murlidhar Mohol wins |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/pune-maharashtra-lok-sabha-election-result-live-murlidhar-mohol-ravindra-dhangekar-bjp-congress-winner-loser-live-news/3510334/ |website=Financial Express |date=4 June 2024 |access-date=15 June 2024}}</ref>
On 10 March 2025, He quits [[Indian National Congress]] and joins [[Shiv Sena]]

==Early life==
Ravindra Hemraj Dhangekar was born in Pune, Maharashtra. He completed his education up to the 8th standard at Motoba School in Nathachiwadi, Daund, Pune, in 1985.<ref name="IndiaTVNews">{{cite web |title=Dhangekar Ravindra Hemraj - Pune - Maharashtra |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/elections/lok-sabha-elections-2024/maharashtra/pune-constituency/candidate-list/dhangekar-ravindra-hemraj-lok-sabha-candidate |website=India TV News |date=11 May 2024 |access-date=15 June 2024}}</ref><ref name="MyPunePulse">{{cite web |title=Pune: Dhangekar Turns Trolls' '8th Pass' Barb into a Badge of Honor |url=https://www.mypunepulse.com/pune-dhangekar-turns-trolls-8th-pass-barb-into-a-badge-of-honor-boasts-of-phd-from-public-mandate/ |website=My Pune Pulse |date=3 April 2024 |access-date=15 June 2024}}</ref> Dhangekar hails from the [[Other Backward Class|OBC community]], which constitutes a significant portion of the population in the [[Kasba Peth Assembly constituency|Kasba Peth constituency]].<ref name="DiverseKhabar">{{cite web |title=Ravindra Dhangekar Age, Biography, Wife, Result |url=https://diversekhabar.com/ravindra-dhangekar-age-biography-wife-result/ |website=Diverse Khabar |date=18 May 2024 |access-date=15 June 2024}}</ref>

==Political career==
Dhangekar's political career has seen several transitions across different parties.

<div style="text-align: center;">

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Political Affiliations
! Year !! Party !! Symbol
|-
| 1997–2006 || [[Shiv Sena]] || [[File:Indian_Election_Symbol_Bow_And_Arrow2.svg|50px]]
|-
| 2006–2017 || [[Maharashtra Navnirman Sena]] || [[File:Indian Election Symbol Railway Engine.png|50px]]
|-
| 2017–2025 || [[Indian National Congress]] || [[File:Indian National Congress symbol.svg|25px]]
|-
| 10 March 2025 – Present || [[Shiv Sena]] || [[File:Indian_Election_Symbol_Bow_And_Arrow2.svg|50px]]
|}
</div>

===Early Years with Shiv Sena===
Ravindra Dhangekar's political journey began with the [[Shiv Sena]] party. He was inspired by the speeches of [[Shiv Sena]] founder [[Bal Thackeray|Balasaheb Thackeray]] and entered politics under the mentorship of senior [[Shiv Sena]] leader Deepak Paigude.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/> Dhangekar was first elected as a corporator in the [[Pune Municipal Corporation]] in 1997.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/>

===Transition to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena===
In 2006, when [[Raj Thackeray]] split from the Shiv Sena to form the [[Maharashtra Navnirman Sena]] (MNS), Dhangekar, along with Paigude, joined the new party.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/> As an MNS candidate in the 2009 Maharashtra Assembly elections, he contested from the Kasba Peth constituency and gave a tough fight to the BJP's [[Girish Bapat]], losing by a margin of around 8,000 votes.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/> Dhangekar contested the 2014 Assembly elections from Kasba Peth again on an MNS ticket but lost amid the Modi wave.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/>

===Brief independent candidature and joining congress===
Feeling sidelined within the MNS, Dhangekar quit the party in 2017 and briefly contested as an independent in the Pune civic polls with Congress support, defeating BJP heavyweight Ganesh Bidkar.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/> Later in 2017, he officially joined the [[Indian National Congress]] party.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/> He aimed to contest the 2019 Assembly elections from Kasba Peth, but the Congress fielded Arvind Shinde instead, leading to a BJP win by [[Mukta Tilak]].<ref name="IndianExpress2"/>

===2023 by-election victory===
Dhangekar's significant achievement came in 2023 when he won the Kasba Peth Assembly by-election on a Congress ticket, ending the BJP's 28-year stronghold in the constituency.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/><ref name="HindustanTimes"/> His victory was considered a significant upset for the BJP.<ref name="HindustanTimes" />

===2024 General Elections===
Following his by-election win, the Congress named Dhangekar as its candidate from the Pune Lok Sabha constituency for the 2024 general elections.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/><ref name="HindustanTimes" /> However, he lost to the BJP's [[Murlidhar Mohol]] in the Lok Sabha polls.<ref name="IndianExpress2"/>

===2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Election===
Following his 1 and half year tenure as MLA, he contested the 2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election from [[Kasba Peth Assembly constituency|Kasba Peth]] on a [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] ticket but lost to [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] candidate [[Hemant Rasane]].

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhangekar, Ravindra}}
[[Category:Maharashtra MLAs 2019–2024]]
[[Category:Politicians from Pune]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Shiv Sena politicians]]
[[Category:Maharashtra Navnirman Sena politicians]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Maharashtra]]

Ravindra Dhangekar - Revision history

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