Mumbai, Dec 30 Maharashtra on Tuesday, which was the last date for filing nominations for the elections to the 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, witnessed a wave of unrest across political parties, marked by dramatic scenes in Nashik and Nagpur and growing dissent in Mumbai, Jalgaon, Sambhajinagar, Thane and other cities over ticket distribution.
Nashik emerged as a flashpoint on the final day of filing nominations for the civic polls, as disgruntled BJP aspirants allegedly chased vehicles carrying AB forms on city roads.
The car of city BJP president Sunil Kedar was pursued by ticket seekers, creating tense scenes on the Nashik-Mumbai highway for some time. The convoy included BJP MLAs Rahul Dhikle and Seema Hiray, sources said.
The turmoil deepened in Nashik’s ward number 26, where a heated argument broke out between BJP office-bearer Kailas Ahire and MLA Seema Hiray over the issuance of AB forms.
Ahire accused the MLA of attempting to cut his ticket despite the form having already been issued. The altercation, which took place outside the election decision officer’s office, was captured on video and later went viral.
Aspirants from areas such as Panchavati and New CIDCO also staged protests, alleging that loyal workers were being sidelined in favour of newcomers.
The BJP’s decision to field Riddhish Nimse, son of former corporator Uddhav Nimse, who is currently in jail in the Dhotre murder case, added to the controversy in Nashik.
Nashik district guardian minister Girish Mahajan reacted sharply, saying, “What happened was not appropriate. We have made commitments to workers who joined the BJP recently, and we had to keep our word. Compared to the actual number of available seats, the number of aspirants was way more than that.”
In Nagpur, Shiv Sena worker Yogesh Gonnade, who lost his mother on the last day of filing nominations today, gave up hopes of contesting the election. However, Shiv Sena leaders reached the crematorium and handed him the AB form while the last rites were underway.
After performing the funeral rituals, Gonnade rushed to the Sataranjipura zonal office and filed his nomination from ward number five just minutes before the deadline.
Nagpur also saw BJP workers protesting outside the residence of Union minister Nitin Gadkari after being denied tickets. Some workers broke down in tears, while others allegedly threatened self-immolation, claiming that party tickets were given to candidates who had joined the BJP barely a year and a half ago, bypassing long-serving workers.
In Mumbai, unrest was reported across party lines. Aspirants from the Shiv Sena (UBT) protested outside Matoshree after being denied candidature, with sloganeering reported from areas such as Mankhurd and Dharavi.
In the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, party workers in Dahisar waved black flags against MLA Prakash Surve after ward number three was allotted to the BJP as part of alliance arrangements.
Shiv Sena Shakha chief Prakash Pujari and supporters alleged that local workers were kept in the dark while the seat was handed to BJP MLC Pravin Darekar’s brother, Prakash Darekar. Aspirant Vaishnavi Pujari also accused senior leaders of imposing an external candidate.
In Chembur’s ward number 155, BJP aspirants Jayshree Kharat, Harsh Salve and Shashikala Kamble filed nominations as independents after the party reportedly gave a ticket to former corporator Shrikant Shetye, who had joined the BJP from the Shiv Sena (UBT) just two days earlier, setting the stage for a multi-cornered contest.
In the Mira-Bhayandar civic body, the denial of a BJP ticket to Shradha Bane reportedly triggered a medical emergency, with her mother and former women’s district president Vanita Bane, also known as Nita Bane, suffering a cardiac arrest. She was admitted to a hospital in Mira Road, and her condition was stated to be stable.
In Jalgaon, Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faced internal strife after city president Abhishek Patil resigned abruptly, citing differences with district president Sanjay Pawar and former minister Gulabrao Deokar over seat allocation.
Senior leaders, including Sanjay Pawar, Deokar and former MLA Manish Jain, later held talks to persuade Patil to withdraw his resignation. Patil’s mother, Kalpanabai Patil, a women’s office-bearer of the party, was also involved in the reconciliation efforts.
In Sambhajinagar and Thane also the BJP aspirants also strongly protested against the denial of tickets, accusing the party leadership of neglecting the loyalists.
In Navi Mumbai, the party legislator Manda Mhatre rejected the AB forms given to her son and three party workers, alleging that she has not been given her due share in ticket distribution. She targeted the party minister Ganesh Naik for the goof-up in the ticket distribution.
Both ruling and opposition parties swung into action to pacify the disgruntled members and manage the internal dissent.
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