Maharashtra elections: Rebellion grows in BJP’s Mumbai ranks ahead of polls

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party is facing unprecedented internal rebellion in Mumbai and across Maharashtra, breaking with its traditional organisational discipline.
In North Mumbai, former MP Gopal Shetty has rebelled against the party’s official candidate, while in Mira-Bhayandar, associate MLA Geeta Jain is expected to contest as an independent.
Shetty, who sought candidacy from Borivali, expressed displeasure after the party nominated Mumbai general secretary Sanjay Upadhyay for the constituency he once represented. Despite party attempts at reconciliation, Shetty filed his nomination as an independent on Tuesday, the final day for submissions.
In Mumbadevi, the party’s decision to field Shaina NC as the Shinde-led Shiv Sena candidate against Congress’s Amin Patel has sparked further dissent. Former MLA Atul Shah announced his intention to contest, protesting what he called “the imposition of an outsider” in the constituency.
Party insiders note that such open rebellion is unprecedented, with no comparable incidents in the past decade. The dissent has spread to Navi Mumbai, where former MLA Sandeep Naik is challenging party candidate Manda Mhatre in Belapur constituency. Notably, Sandeep’s father and former state minister Ganesh Naik is the BJP candidate in the adjacent Airoli constituency.
Shetty’s rebellion presents a significant challenge for the party, given his strong influence in Borivali, where he has served multiple terms as corporator, MLA and MP. “There is no question of backtracking on the decision. I am not going to join any other party and have not given up the dialogue with the party leadership”, Shetty said. “I had invited Sanjay Upadhyay to join me file the nomination. My nomination as an independent is the wish of the party workers and voters in the constituency as they disapprove of an outsider as their candidate”. Meanwhile, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar visited Shetty on Monday to attempt damage control.
In Mumbadevi, Shah echoed similar sentiments: “I have worked hard for the area as a corporator and MLA in the past, despite which party has chosen the person who has nothing to do with Mumbadevi. Party did not take me into confidence before announcing the candidacy”.
The rebellion extends beyond the BJP. In the Mahayuti alliance, NCP-Ajit Pawar’s Sameer Bhujbal has filed nomination from Nandgaon against Shiv Sena-Shinde’s candidate Suhas Kande. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi faces similar challenges, with Shiv Sena-UBT leader Baburao Mane announcing his intention to contest as an independent against Congress’s Jyoti Gaikwad in Dharavi.