Some rebels withdraw as parties crack the whip

The ruling Mahayuti alliance is grappling with 18 rebels in the fray while the opposition alliance of Maha Vikas Aghadi has a marginally higher number of rebels at 22

Mumbai: Twenty-four hours after the scale of rebellion in their ranks became apparent the two alliances in Maharashtra began stamping it out. On Tuesday the Shiv Sena (UBT) expelled five of the rebels from the party while two of the BJP rebels quit at the first whiff of disciplinary action. “The process of taking action against the rebels has begun,” added Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe.

Some rebels withdraw as parties crack the whip

The ruling Mahayuti alliance is grappling with 18 rebels in the fray-- BJP tops the list with nine rebels, six from Shiv Sena and three from NCP (AP). The opposition alliance of Maha Vikas Aghadi has a marginally higher number of rebels at 22. Of which 11 are from Shiv Sena (UBT), seven from the Congress and four from NCP-SP.

The BJP which had warned the rebels with expulsion has asked some of them to resign. On Tuesday the party’s former MP and national spokesperson Heena Gavit and Pune leader Kiran Dagade quit.

Gavit sent her resignation after refusing to withdraw her nomination against Mahayuti’s official candidate Amashya Padvi from Akkalkuva. “The treachery in the district was at its peak and there was no way left for me but to resign. I have resigned from all posts of the party,” she said. Her father and state tribal development minister Vijaykumar Gavit will remain the BJP candidate from the adjoining Nandurbar constituency.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that the party had prepared a list of the other rebels and was in the process of initiating action against them which could mean a six-year expulsion.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray too expelled five leaders for anti-party activities. Among them were former lawmaker Rupesh Mhatre who filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Bhiwandi east against Rais Shaikh of Samajwadi Party. Though Mhatre had withdrawn his nomination on Monday, he had accused the party leadership of sacrificing his seat to secure the Bandra east seat for Thackeray’s nephew Varun Sardesai.

The party also expelled four party office bearers from Yavatmal district for supporting an independent candidate Sanjay Khade from Vani against Sena’s official candidate Sanjay Darekar.

“During the process of filing nomination for Assembly elections these five leaders breached the discipline of the party and were involved in anti-party activity,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) former MP and spokesperson Vinayak Raut. “If we find others indulging in similar anti-party activity, we will act against them too,” he added.

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on the other hand has yet to act against the rebels. “Eighty percent of our rebels have withdrawn their nominations and only a few are in the fray. Any possible action against them will be taken by the chief minister,” said party spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre.

“Some of these rebels have been tactically allowed to remain in the fray as they help the official candidate,” said a Shiv Sena leader unwilling to be quoted.

Mahesh Tapase, chief spokesperson, NCP (SP), addressed the issue of rebellion and said, “The message from the party chief is very clear. We understand that the rebels were interested in contesting the polls but at this juncture they will have to sacrifice for the sake of the party as maintaining unity within the MVA is the most important thing. The party cadre will not support any dissident or rebel in the polls and action against them will follow.”