Sachin Ahir
Sachin Ahir is a political leader who was the Mumbai Chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and joined the Shiv Sena in 2019. In his early days, Sachin and his uncle Vijay Ahir, worked as personal assistants and bodyguards for Sunit Khatau- chairman of the Khatau Fabrics Group who was shot dead by gangsters on 7 May 1994 over dispute about mill lands. Sachin Ahir began his work with the Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh (RMMS) in 1993, where after holding the post of Secretary he was eventually elected as President of the union. In addition to the RMMS, he led the Mazagaon Dock Union, and the Mahindra and Mahindra Union.
In 1999, he joined the NCP and won the election from the Sewri assembly constituency with help from his uncle Arun Gawli- the widely known underworld don who operated the Byculla Gang in the 1970s-90s from Dagdi Chawl near Worli. Ahir was then the only NCP candidate to be elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Mumbai- a seat he won for three consecutive terms. He is a popular figure on the ground, and across the streets of Worli and Parel one can see his face and name on posters and plaques for social work projects/programmes he has implemented. In 2009, Ahir was appointed Minister of State for Housing to the Maharashtra Government. Leaders from other unions say that he has reaped fortunes by striking deals with builders to siphon money from various SRA and MHADA rehab projects around Worli. In 2019, amidst the backdrop of a dramatic coup de theatre in Maharashtrian politics, Ahir switched from NCP to the Shiv Sena and eventually had to give up his seat to Aditya Thackery. He was instead assigned the Deputy Chief of the Shiv Sena. Word on the street is that he has been shifted to Pune on party-related work.
Ahir and his wife Sangeeta Ahir have established the Shree Sankalp Pratishthan charitable trust. The trust has been involved in organisation of the Worli Festival and its iconic Dahi Handi events involving bigshot Bollywood actors. His wife, Sangeeta Ahir a former actor, also runs a Film and Media production company called Mangal Murti Films.
