He participated in Kargil War (Operation Parakram) Former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi brought Sawant into electoral politics and gave him Loksabha ticket for Indian National Congress from the Rajapur Loksabha Constituency from the Konkan region of Maharashtra for the 1991 election.
In the election Sawant defeated the long serving incumbent and former Union Railway Minister, Madhu Dandavate.
Sawant joined Aam Aadmi Party Maharashtra unit on 12 January 2018 in presence of Arvind Kejriwal[1] and on 6 June 2018 under presence of AAP National Secretary Pankaj Gupta he has been appointed as Aam Aadmi Party Maharashtra Unit Head Convenor.
[2] He resigned from the post of state convenor citing differences with Arvind Kejriwal.
He is chairman of Forum for Strategic Studies, New Delhi and Tourism Co-Operative.