Upset over BJP’s outsider candidate, ex-MP Gopal Shetty puts himself as an independent; Party convinces Atul Shah to back out
Shaina NC filing her nomination as a Shinde Sena candidate from Mumbadevi constituency
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to quell the rebellion by former MLA Atul Shah in the Mumbadevi Assembly constituency, but it seems it would have to work harder to placate its former MP Gopal Shetty, who filed his nomination in Borivli, where the party has placed Sanjay Upadhyay.
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Shah was upset because the party didn’t think of him despite repeated requests and gave the Mumbadevi segment to Shiv Sena (Shinde) that fielded BJP leader Shaina NC as its official nominee. Shetty has opposed the party’s decision to force yet another outsider on the safest constituency.
BJPis yet to convince Gopal Shetty to opt out. Pic/Nimesh Dave
This is the third time in succession since 2014 that the BJP has imported candidates for Borivli at the cost of local leaders. Shetty was replaced by Vinod Tawde in 2014. Later, Sunil Rane’s entry marked Tawde’s exit. Upadhyay took Rane’s place. This year, two-time Mumbai North Lok Sabha MP, Shetty was replaced by an outsider Piyush Goyal. It is said that Shetty was promised the Borivli Assembly seat.
‘Will not pull out’
Shetty told mid-day on Tuesday that he would not withdraw because of injustice meted out to the constituency (in terms of imposing an outsider again and again). “I’m not upset with anyone. I may be somewhat aggrieved, but that is not an issue. My fight is not against the BJP or any individual,” he said.
When asked, Shetty said some top BJP leaders had called him in the morning but then he couldn’t talk because he was busy in his nomination rally. Party insiders said that the senior leaders would attempt to make Shetty consider opting out before November 4, the deadline for withdrawing nominations.
A BJP leader from the western suburbs said that Shetty enjoyed popularity to win as an independent. “He will win if he stays in the contest because he had been winning with humongous margins in Borivli, be it Assembly or Lok Sabha or corporation elections that began his electoral career,” the leader added.
Atul Shah backs out
Former MLA Atul Shah had appealed to his supporters to join him on Tuesday morning to file nomination papers from Mumbadevi where he had lost in 2019. He had demanded a BJP ticket, but the party not only gave the Shiv Sena the constituency but also made Shaina NC the ally’s candidate. This upset Shah.
Swikruti Sharma filed as an independent in Andheri East. Pic/Anurag Ahire
However, Shah cancelled the plan after meeting with the state in-charge, Union minister Bhupender Yadav, and co-in-charge Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. “I was called to meet with the senior leaders. I told my party seniors I was meted out injustice. They asked me to reconsider my decision saying that the ally had got Mumbadevi in the seat-sharing,” he told mid-day, adding, “I also realised that it wouldn’t be good if I went ahead.”
In other segments, Shinde Sena’s new entrant, Swikruti Sharma filed her candidature as an independent in Andheri East. The wife of former police officer Pradeep Sharma was promised a nomination here by CM Eknath Shinde, who didn’t leave his claim on the seat, but in the end, he accepted the BJP’s offer to give him its strong aspirant Murji Patel as the candidate. Shinde Sena’s Kunal Sarmalkar has decided to take on NCP’s Zeeshan Siddique and Sena (UBT)’s Varun Sardesai in Bandra East. Having at least six days at hand to convince the disgruntled in their respective alliances and parties, both alliances would have the complete idea of rebellions within their ranks.
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