Jyoti Gaikwad

{{Short description|Indian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Use Indian English|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| office = Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly

| constituency = Dharavi

| term_start = 2024

| term_end =

| profession = Politician

| predecessor = Varsha Gaikwad

| party = Indian National Congress

}}

Jyoti Eknath Gaikwad is an Indian politician from Maharashtra. She is a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 2024, representing Dharavi Assembly constituency as a member of the Indian National Congress.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-23 |title=Dharavi, Maharashtra Assembly Election Results 2024 Highlights: INC's Jyoti Gaikwad with 70727 defeats SHS's Rajesh Khandare |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/assembly/story/dharavi-maharashtra-assembly-election-results-2024-live-updates-maelb-2638287-2024-11-23 |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=India Today |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Chitnis |first=Purva |date=2024-11-23 |title=Congress's Jyoti Gaikwad wins by 23,459 votes in Dharavi amid land grab charges against Adani, Mahayuti |url=https://theprint.in/elections/congresss-jyoti-gaikwad-takes-a-23459-vote-lead-in-dharavi-amid-land-grab-charges-against-adani-mahayuti/2370423/ |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/elections/maharashtra-assembly/maharashtra-assembly-to-have-78-first-time-mlas/article68926011.ece|title=Maharashtra assembly to have 78 first-time MLAs|newspaper=The Hindu|date=29 November 2024|accessdate=29 November 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20241129133813/https://www.thehindu.com/elections/maharashtra-assembly/maharashtra-assembly-to-have-78-first-time-mlas/article68926011.ece|archivedate=29 November 2024|language=en-IN}}{{cite news |title=Dharavi election results 2024: Congress' Jyoti Gaikwad wins seat with 23,459 margin |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/politics/dharavi-assembly-election-2024-congress-jyoti-gaikwad-against-shiv-sena-rajesh-khandare-19513555.htm |access-date=29 December 2024 |publisher=CNBCTV18 |date=23 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241229083901/https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/politics/dharavi-assembly-election-2024-congress-jyoti-gaikwad-against-shiv-sena-rajesh-khandare-19513555.htm |archive-date=29 December 2024 |language=en}}{{cite news |date=23 November 2024 |title=Maharastra Assembly Election Results 2024 - Dharavi |url=https://results.eci.gov.in/ResultAcGenNov2024/candidateswise-S13178.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241229084037/https://results.eci.gov.in/ResultAcGenNov2024/candidateswise-S13178.htm |archive-date=29 December 2024 |access-date=29 December 2024 |work= |publisher=Election Commission of India |language=en}}

Jyoti Eknath Gaikwad elected to the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for the first time from the Dharavi Assembly Constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes in the 2024 Assembly Elections. Earlier, Jyoti Gaikwad's sister and sitting MP Varsha Gaikwad was elected for four consecutive terms from Dharavi assembly constituency. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Varsha Gaikwad became an MP from the Mumbai North constituency.{{Cite news |last=Hiwale |first=Sandesh |date=2024-11-24 |title=महाराष्ट्रातील विद्यमान 10 बौद्ध आमदार (2024-29) - धम्म भारत |url=https://dhammabharat.com/buddhist-mlas-from-maharashtra-2024/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124000658/https://dhammabharat.com/buddhist-mlas-from-maharashtra-2024/ |archive-date=24 January 2025 |access-date=2025-02-02 |work=धम्म भारत |language=en-GB |url-status=live }}

Jyoti Gaikwad belongs to the Ambedkarite Buddhist community. Her father Eknath Gaikwad was also a three-time MP. She is the only Buddhist woman MLA in the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Apart from this, she is also the only woman MLA of Maha Vikas Aghadi. In the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Jyoti Gaikwad secured 70,727 votes and defeated Shinde faction's Shiv Sena candidate Rajesh Shivdas Khandare by 23,459 votes.