Panvel Municipal Corporation Elections 2026: BJP Suspends Three Leaders for Six Years Over Rebel Nominations in Kharghar

The Bharatiya Janata Party has suspended three of its members—Nilesh Baviskar, Geeta Chaudhary, and Komal Shinde-Dahade—for a period of six years after they filed nomination papers against the party’s officially authorised candidates in Kharghar during the Panvel Municipal Corporation general elections, reported by the Free Press Journal. The action was taken as the party viewed their move as a serious violation of organisational discipline. The suspension comes at a crucial time when the BJP is attempting to maintain unity and control within its ranks ahead of the closely watched civic body polls in the Panvel region.

Explaining the decision, BJP district president Avinash Koli stressed that adherence to party directives is non-negotiable in a disciplined organisation like the BJP, as reported by the Free Press Journal. Koli said that despite clear instructions, the three leaders chose to contest against the party’s authorised candidates, which amounted to open defiance. He described their actions as a direct challenge to party authority and internal discipline. Koli further stated that such behaviour undermines collective decision-making and harms the party’s electoral strategy, leaving the leadership with no option but to initiate strict disciplinary measures.

Koli clarified that the suspension was imposed only after it was conclusively established that the three members had acted against the party’s interests by entering the fray as rebel candidates. He said contesting against official BJP nominees is a clear violation of party norms and warranted firm action, reported Free Press Journal. The decision was formally conveyed through an official press release issued to the media. With civic elections approaching, the BJP has signalled that it will not tolerate indiscipline and will take decisive steps to ensure organisational unity and adherence to party decisions.