Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expelled seven key party officials who supported rebel candidate Vijay Nahata in the Belapur Assembly constituency. The Chief Minister had previously issued warnings against backing Nahata’s rebellion, a stance reiterated by Thane MP Naresh Mhaske at a rally in Vashi. Despite these warnings, the action has now been taken against those who continued their support for Nahata.
In Belapur, the BJP nominated Manda Mhatre, prompting district president Sandeep Naik to defect and join Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in protest. Amid this turmoil, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) Deputy Leader Vijay Nahata also rebelled, filing his nomination as an independent candidate. Nahata had earlier expressed his intention to join Pawar's party at a public event, but when Pawar learned of Naik’s defection, Nahata’s entry was blocked. With Naik’s departure, Nahata’s path was effectively obstructed.
The situation stirred unrest within the BJP, with several former Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) corporators and officials publicly supporting Nahata. The Chief Minister issued a firm warning that such rebellion would not be tolerated. At a recent meeting in Vashi, MP Naresh Mhaske emphasized that action would be taken against those backing Nahata. However, some leaders persisted in their support, leading to the expulsion of seven officials.
Amid these developments, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) has appointed Kishore Patlkar as the District President for the Belapur Assembly constituency, for a period of one year.