Mahesh Suryawanshi Elected President of Dagdusheth Ganpati Trust for Five Years

Pune, 12th October 2026: Mahesh Suryawanshi has been unanimously elected president of the Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust for a five-year term from 2026 to 2031. The decision was taken at a meeting of the trust’s board of trustees on Monday, October 12. Former president Sunil Rasane has been elected treasurer.

According to the trust’s succession plan, Hemant Rasane, the trust’s general secretary and an MLA, is scheduled to become president for the subsequent five-year term from 2031 to 2036.

The meeting was attended by former president Sunil Rasane, newly elected president Mahesh Suryawanshi, vice-presidents Manik Chavan and Dr Ramchandra alias Balasaheb Paranjape, general secretary Hemant Rasane, festival chief Akshay Godse, joint secretary Amol Kedari, and trustees Rajendra Gawade, Parag Wambure and Rohit Londhe, among others. After the meeting, the trustees performed the aarti of Lord Ganesha.

Suryawanshi, a civil engineer by qualification and a construction professional, has been associated with the organisation since 1984 through Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal. He joined the mandal’s executive committee in 1996 and was appointed a trustee of the Dagdusheth Halwai Trust in 2001. In 2010, he took charge as the trust’s treasurer.

His father, advocate Shankarrao Suryawanshi, was the founding treasurer of the Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust.

Suryawanshi has overseen financial management and administrative responsibilities at the trust. As a civil engineer, he also contributed to the construction of the trust’s child-care centre and old-age home in Kondhwa.

He believes that public charitable trusts should function as centres of service to humanity rather than centres of power. He has said he intends to continue working in line with this principle during his tenure.

Trust’s planned leadership succession

As per the arrangement decided at an earlier meeting, Manik Chavan served as president during the 2022–24 term, followed by Sunil Rasane for 2024–26. Suryawanshi will now lead the trust for the five-year term ending in 2031, after which Hemant Rasane is scheduled to take over for 2031–36.