Who is Sanjay Gaikwad? Shiv Sena MLA who once wore a tiger tooth | Mumbai News
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MLA from Buldhana, Sanjay Gaikwad, defended his recent assault on a staff member at the MLAs’ hostel canteen, stating he acted out of frustration after being served allegedly substandard food.Gaikwad claimed he had complained about the quality of food at the canteen on four previous occasions. He said he had ordered dal, rice, and two chapatis to his room, but the food was inedible.“I had one bite and felt uneasy. After the second, I vomited. I was so angry that I left my room wearing just a vest and towel and went to the canteen,” Gaikwad told reporters. “I asked the staff to eat the same dal and rice, and they admitted it was not fit for consumption.”Who is Sanjay Gaikwad?
- Gaikwad is a two-time MLA from Buldhana, previously elected on a Shiv Sena ticket
- In 2019, he defeated Harshawardhan Sapkal, who is currently the state Congress chief
- A farmer by profession, he joined Eknath Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena in 2022
A history of controversial remarksApril 2025: Gaikwad accused police officers across Maharashtra of “harampan” – a colloquial term suggesting rogue behaviour – and claimed that if such practices were curbed, all illegal activities could be eliminated within a year. “The Maharashtra police is the most inefficient department of the government. My son received death threats, my car was attacked, but police failed to make any breakthrough,” he said.February 2024: He claimed to have hunted a tiger in 1987 and had been wearing its tooth around his neck since then. The forest department later seized the item and booked him under the Wildlife Protection Act. The tooth was sent for forensic examination.March 2024: A video surfaced showing Gaikwad beating a young man with a police baton during a Shiv Jayanti procession.September 2024: Gaikwad made headlines after announcing a reward of ?11 lakh to anyone who would chop off Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s tongue, following Gandhi’s remarks on the reservation system.2021: While part of the undivided Shiv Sena and a member of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Gaikwad launched a personal attack on then Opposition Leader Devendra Fadnavis, saying he wanted to “take the corona[virus] and shove it down Fadnavis’ throat.”
