Maharashtra polls: Dissent mounts after BJP’s first list of candidates comes out

Dissent erupts in BJP after the first candidate list; resignations and potential defections mount as aspirants contest nominations across Maharashtra

MUMBAI: A day after the BJP announced its first list of 99 candidates, dissenting voices in the party erupted strongly across the state. Some announced that they would quit the party to protest against the candidates chosen, while aspirants who did not find their names in the first list rushed to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to push their claims.

Aspirants who did not find their names in the first list rushed to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to push their claims. (HT FILE PHOTO)

In a blow to the BJP, former MLA Sandeep Naik, who was denied a ticket, is on the verge of joining the Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Tuesday. He will contest from the Belapur constituency against the BJP’s sitting MLA, Manda Mhatre, who has been renominated in the first list. Interestingly, Sandeep’s father Ganesh Naik is the BJP candidate from the adjoining Airoli constituency.

“We are a disciplined force. We can put forth our views and insist on them, but we have no place for stubbornness,” said Naik on Monday about his son. “I have asked him not to go against the party’s discipline. However, he is a mature politician and is capable of taking his own decisions.”

In Beed, the BJP’s district president Rajendra Maske resigned to protest against the nominee announced by the party in the constituency. He is expected to join the NCP (SP) and help its sitting MLA, Sandeep Kshirsagar, win. Dinkar Patil, who was an aspirant from Nashik West, has also hinted at quitting the party to protest against its decision to renominate Seema Hirey.

Other leaders who have threatened to quit are Sheetal Kedar (to protest against the renomination of Monika Rajale from Shevgaon in Ahmednagar) and Suvarna Pachpute from Shrigonda in Ahmednagar (to protest against the party fielding Pratibha Pachpute, wife of former minister Babanrao Pachpute). Party leader Ramesh Pawar has resigned to protest Anuradha Chavan being chosen for the Phulambri constituency in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.

In Ratnagiri, former MLA and BJP leader Bal Mane is all set to quit the party and join the Shiv Sena (UBT) as its candidate for the Ratnagiri constituency against state minister and Shiv Sena (Shinde) leader Uday Samant. He has invited suggestions from his workers and voters on the call to be taken. If he goes ahead, this could pose a challenge to the Shinde-led Sena because of the caste equations in the constituency.

Apart from the dissident voices across the state, many aspirants and a few sitting MLAs whose names were missing in the first list made a beeline for Fadnavis’ official bungalow, Sagar. Versova MLA Bharti Lavekar, Malshiras MLA Ram Satpute, Borivali MLA Sunil Rane, Nashik Central MLA Devyani Farande and Khadakwasla MLA Bhimrao Tapkeer were among those who rushed to Fadnavis to press for candidacy. Farande met Fadnavis along with 24 former corporators and local party leaders to garner support for her claim. Other aspirants like Murji Patel (Andheri East), Atul Shah (Mumbadevi) and Bala Bhegade (Maval) also met the deputy chief minister.

Lavekar is expected to be replaced by Sanjay Pandey, the party’s North Indian cell chief in the constituency, in a subsequent list. Rane’s constituency is being eyed by former MP Gopal Shetty while Ram Satpute is not expected to be renominated after his defeat in the LS polls.

A BJP leader close to Fadnavis dismissed the volatile situation by saying that while some MLAs and leaders did meet Fadnavis to demand candidacy, many went there to thank him for their nominations. “Also, this happens every time but the dissenting voices will subside in a couple of days,” he claimed.