Mumbai, Nov 4 The BJP, which is contesting 148 of the total 288 seats in the Mahayuti, on Monday asked its miffed leaders to withdraw their nominations and toe the party line.
The party has also hinted at disciplinary action against them, including no ghar wapsi, if they fail to comply.
State unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who is contesting from Kamthi seat in the Vidarbha region, said that the party has taken a firm stand that the BJP’s dissatisfied leaders should withdraw and they should not contest against the Mahayuti nominees.
Bawankule’s warning came before the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations ends at 3 P.M. on Monday.
“If they (rebels) will not withdraw their nominations, the party will initiate strong action. The doors of the party will be closed for them forever,” said Bawankule who added that hectic parleys were on to calm the rebels and hoped that the party would succeed in its efforts to avoid adverse impact on the poll prospects of the BJP and of the Mahayuti in general.
Bawankule’s warning is important as there are 50 rebels in the electoral fray comprising 36 from the Mahayuti and 14 from the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Of the 36 rebels, the BJP has hit the most with 19 followed by 16 belonging to the Shiv Sena and one from the NCP.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had held more than four region-wise meetings last month to review the BJP’s poll preparations, has already asked the state leadership to make all efforts to contain the rebellion by increasing outreach with the leaders.
BJP’s nine rebels have entered the fray against the Shiv Sena while the Shiv Sena’s nine Independents have filed nominations against BJP nominees.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been quite pro-active in directly meeting some of these leaders or remain in constant communication urging them to withdraw.
He met two-term MP Gopal Shetty, who has filed as an Independent from the Borivali seat to protest against the BJP’s move to nominate Sanjay Upadhyay.
Apart from Fadnavis, the party National General Secretary Vinod Tawde also met Shetty and requested him to withdraw his nomination.
Shetty had clearly told Fadnavis and Tawde that, “I will do what needs to be done in the interest of the party because Gopal Shetty has a lotus in his heart, mind and head.”
Fadnavis’ intervention has helped to pacify the party legislator Dadarao Keche to back out from Arvi constituency in Wardha district where the BJP has nominated Sumit Wankhede.
Incidentally, Wankhede is a former Personal Assistant of Fadnavis.
Bawankule took Keche to Ahmedabad for a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah that also made Keche withdraw from the race.
BJP rebel Vishwajeet Gaikwad, who had filed his nomination from the Udgir constituency in Marathwada region, decided to opt out of the race though the party rebels from Achalpur, Badnera, Amravati and Tivasa from Amravati district have yet to take their decision.
Incidentally, Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held a marathon meeting on Sunday to discuss how to calm the dissatisfied leaders in the Mahayuti.
Meanwhile, the BJP and Shiv Sena stand divided on supporting Maharashtra Navnirman Sena nominee Amit Thackeray from Mahim constituency.
The BJP is strongly in favour of extending the Mahayuti’s support to Amit Thackeray although the MNS is not a part of the Mahayuti.
However, Eknath Shinde has left the decision to the party activists from Mahim where the party has renominated sitting legislator Sada Sarvankar who is reluctant to withdraw his nomination.
Sarvankar has urged Raj Thackeray not to do injustice to him but help him.
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