Shivaji Bhanudas Kardile

Shivaji Bhanudasrao Kardile (4 December 1958 – 17 October 2025) was an Indian politician who was six time Member of Legislative Assembly of Rahuri and Ahmednagar North Vidhan sabha of Maharashtra and owned a dairy business before he entered politics.

Early life and education Kardile was born on 4 December 1958. He studied at secondary school and left education after that.

Arrest In 2018, Kardile was arrested by Ahmednagar police in connection to the killings of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Kotkar and Vasant Thube. Political career He was a grassroot worker of Congress party as he was active in local politics and served as Sarpanch of Burhanpur (also spelled Burhannagar), Ahmednagar District from (1984–1995) and He started his public life as the Sarpanch of Burhanpur and gradually grew into a powerful leader in the cooperative and state political sectors of Ahmednagar. In 1995, he Contested Ahmednagar North (Nagar–Nevasa) as an Independent Candidate and won with 62,552 votes. BJP–Shiv Sena supported his candidature, but he was officially an Independent. In 1999, for second time he contested from Ahmednagar North (Nagar–Nevasa) and won as an Independent Candidate, with 63,576 votes. He was again supported by the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance In 2004 he Joined undivided Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar and contested the 2004 Assembly election on an NCP ticket and Won Ahmednagar North Assembly constituency with 76,436 votes. In 2009 he Joined BJP after NCP did not give him the expected candidature/after differences over the ticket. He contested Rahuri–Nagar–Pathardi Constituency on the BJP ticket and won the election. In 2014 he Remained with BJP and won again from Rahuri–Nagar–Pathardi Constituency in 2014 and 2024 election but he lost in 2019 election by NCP candidate Prajakt Tanpure.

Personal life Kardile had Four daughters and a son. His son-in-law is MLA Sangram Jagtap, Sandeep Kotkar is a former mayor of Ahmednagar and Jyoti Amol Gade is current mayor of Ahilyanagar and His son Akshya Shivaji Kardile is the current MLA of Rahuri Assembly constituency.

Death Kardile died from a cardiac arrest on 17 October 2025, at the age of 66. His son Akshya Shivaji Kardile won the bypoll for Rahuri Assembly constituency necessasited after his death by more than 1,12,587 votes.