Mumbai, Dec 19 BJP leader and advocate Vivekanand Gupta has formally petitioned the party's Mumbai leadership to end the practice of awarding election tickets to family members of established party leaders in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections slated for December 15.
In a letter addressed to Mumbai BJP President Ameet Satam, Gupta strongly backed the slogan "BMC election is not a family business" and called for merit-based ticket distribution.
Gupta said his appeal reflects the growing frustration among grassroots party workers who dedicate years of service at the organisational level with the hope of eventually being given an opportunity to contest elections. He noted that loyal workers often invest their time, resources and energy in strengthening the party at the division and booth levels.
"A party worker gives his heart and soul to his division, often sacrificing everything for the party's cause," Gupta wrote in the letter.
He warned that such workers experience “deep disappointment and alienation” when they are overlooked in favour of the wife, son, daughter or other relatives of senior leaders while distributing election tickets.
The letter emphasised that the BJP has long projected itself as a "worker-centric organisation" and argued that this principle must be upheld, particularly in civic elections like the BMC polls.
Gupta urged the city unit leadership to resist internal pressure and nepotistic demands from influential leaders. He appealed to Ameet Satam to ignore personal requests or directives related to family appointments, and instead award tickets based strictly on merit, commitment and years of service at the grassroots.
He stressed that party workers who have consistently laboured for the BJP’s growth deserve "justice and honour" in the candidate selection process.
"I hope that in this election, it is the common party worker -- and only the worker -- who is given the opportunity to contest," Gupta said.
Gupta sent the letter at a time when the BJP is preparing its electoral blueprint for the BMC elections and is engaged in seat-sharing negotiations with the Shiv Sena.
The internal call for merit-based ticket allocation comes amid the party’s efforts to expand its reach among traditional Marathi-speaking communities and consolidate its urban voter base.
Meanwhile, BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam, after meeting Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant on Thursday, said the two allies have reached a consensus on 150 of the total 227 BMC wards, adding that discussions would continue to finalise seat-sharing arrangements for the remaining 77 wards.
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