BMC polls: Turncoats fare poorly at most places in Mumbai

Barring a few, majority of the turncoats that had donned other party colours for the elections suffered a setback...

Barring a few, majority of the turncoats that had donned other party colours for the elections suffered a setback. While Prabhakar Shinde, who had joined BJP from Sena won from Mulund, the likes of Mangesh Bhanushali, who had defected from BJP to Sena, and Prakash Darekar, who had gone on to contest on BJP symbol, had to face a defeat on Thursday after the civic polls were announced.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)  headquarters at CST. (HT photo)

Devendra Amberkar, who joined Sena from the Congress, lost to Rohan Rathod, a newbie from BJP, in Andheri. However, Mukesh Karia, said to be a threat to Neil Somaiya, joined Sena from BJP and faced defeat also had to face defeat, from Mulund area. Dinesh Panchal, who had defected to BJP from Shiv Sena, lost against Congress candidate Vitthal Lokare, from Deonar.

Amberkar said, “After Congress, I joined the Sena, and I tried my best to win but could not.”

Even Tejaswini Ambole, wife of former BEST committee chairman Sanjay Ambole, was poached from the Sena by the BJP, who considered her to be a strong candidate. She suffered defeat as Parel voted for Sena candidate Sindhu Masurkar. After being denied a ticket by the Congress from ward 223 – Bhendi Bazar and Dongri, — Waqarunissaa Ansari, four term corporator who joined AIMIM, lost to Congress’ Nikita Nikam.

Ashraf Aazmi and his wife Dilshad Aazmi, who were defected to Congress from Samajwadi Party before elections, won from Kurla (west).