BJP expels 40 rebels, Sena sacks Mahesh Gaikwad | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has cracked the whip on rebels across the state, sending a stern warning that anti-party activities will not be tolerated. Its partner in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the Shiv Sena too has expelled a local leader, who has filed his nomination has an Independent candidate against the Mahayuti’s official nominee for the upcoming assembly elections.

In the BJP, 40 small-time leaders have been expelled for six years for filing their nominations against the official Mahayuti candidates. They include Tushar Bharatiya, brother of MLC and the party’s former election campaign chief, Shrikant Bharatiya. Tushar Bharatiya is in the fray from Badnera as an Independent, up against Ravi Rana, chief of the Yuva Swabhiman Paksha, an ally of the Mahayuti alliance.

Others expelled from the BJP include Shobha Banshetty, Vishal Parab and Dilip Kandkurte, who have filed nominations from Solapur City North, Sawantwadi and Nanded South, respectively; and Sunil More and Sajay Ghogare from Nanded South, who worked against the Shiv Sena candidate, Anand Tidke Patil. Also expelled are Jagdish Gupta, who filed his nomination as an Independent from Amravati against NCP’s Sulbha Khodke; Suvarna Pachpute, who is contesting from Shrigonda against the BJP-backed Independent Vikram Pachpute; and Shankar Madavi, who filed his nomination from Amgaon against BJP candidate Sanjay Puram.

Two rebels quit the party before they could be expelled. They are Heena Gavit, the BJP’s national spokesperson, who is contesting as an Independent against Amashya Padvi, the Mahayuti candidate from Akkalkuva; and Kiran Dagade from Bhor. Gavit said that “treachery” by local Shiv Sena leaders forced her to take the decision.

However, there are rumblings that the expulsions are not entirely fair. “The party has not taken action against some leaders like Asha Buchake from Junnar and Rajendra Pipada from Shirdi,” said a BJP leader.

Meanwhile the BJP’s alliance partner, the Shiv Sena’s Kalyan city chief, Mahesh Gaikwad, has been expelled from the party for filing his nomination as an Independent in Kalyan East opposite the BJPs Sulbha Gaikwad.

Mahesh had been shot by Sulbha’s husband, sitting MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, inside a police station in Ulhasnagar in February. Mahesh and Ganpat are related and were engaged in a land dispute.

Mahesh, a former municipal corporator from the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation, was supported by 19 former corporators as they were all opposed to Sulbha’s candidature. Along with Mahesh, they too have been dismissed from the party, including Vishal Pavshe, Manoj Bekamkar, Shankar Patil, Prashant Bote, Sushila Mali, Rohit Dumne, Sharad Pavshe, Raju Bati and Vidya Kumawat.

Gopal Landge, the Sena’s Kalyan district chief, said, “We have removed them from the party. Chief minister Eknath Shinde had told Gaikwad to follow alliance dharma and withdraw.’’