Senior BJP leader and former Member of Parliament Gopal Shetty announced on Monday that he is withdrawing his independent candidacy for the Borivali assembly seat in Mumbai. Shetty had initially filed his nomination as an independent candidate after the BJP denied him a ticket for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections on November 20. The BJP instead selected Sanjay Upadhyay to represent the party in Borivali, a stronghold traditionally loyal to Shetty.
Monday marked the final day for candidates to withdraw their nominations, and Shetty’s announcement followed a series of meetings aimed at defusing tensions within the party. BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde met with Shetty on Sunday in an attempt to address his grievances and persuade him to withdraw his nomination.
Speaking to reporters, Shetty expressed disappointment with the party’s recent decision-making process, which he described as lacking transparency and inclusivity. “I am withdrawing my nomination today,” Shetty said. “My objection was to the BJP’s style of functioning, where decisions were taken without any consultation with party workers like me.” He highlighted what he viewed as a pattern of sidelining local party workers, especially in selecting candidates for assembly seats. “The party was consistently nominating candidates for the assembly elections from outside, and it was presumed that it was being carried out with my consultation. But I was never consulted,” he said.
Shetty’s comments reveal a simmering discontent within the party regarding the lack of local involvement in decision-making. As a long-standing representative of the Mumbai North region, Shetty’s influence in Borivali is significant. He served as MLA from the Borivali constituency in 2004 and 2009, and his deep-rooted connection to the area extends to his previous tenure as a corporator.
Shetty’s decision to initially run as an independent was seen as a rare act of defiance, particularly given his stature within the BJP. His departure would have been a considerable setback for the BJP in Borivali, where he holds substantial support. However, his withdrawal demonstrates a continued, if strained, loyalty to the party. Shetty emphasized that his objections were not out of a desire to disrupt the BJP but to voice his concerns over internal dynamics that he believes disregard the voices of experienced party workers.
In addition to Shetty, another BJP rebel, Sweekruti Sharma, announced her withdrawal from the Andheri East assembly race on Monday. Sharma, too, had filed her nomination as an independent after being denied a BJP ticket. These withdrawals represent efforts by the BJP to prevent a split in votes in key constituencies by resolving internal conflicts before the polls.
Shetty’s journey within the BJP has been marked by impressive electoral victories and significant roles. In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Shetty won the Mumbai North seat by a margin of more than 400,000 votes. However, in the 2024 general elections, the BJP replaced him with Piyush Goyal, who currently serves as a Union minister. This decision to deny Shetty a ticket was seen by many as an unexpected move by the party, considering his success and popularity in Mumbai North. Despite being sidelined at the national level, Shetty’s strong support base in Borivali underscored his continued relevance in Maharashtra’s politics.
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The Borivali assembly seat, regarded as one of the BJP’s safest constituencies, has seen multiple high-profile leaders nominated over the years. In 2014, following Shetty’s shift to the Lok Sabha, the BJP nominated Vinod Tawde for the Borivali seat. Tawde, who later ascended to the position of BJP national general secretary, did not seek re-election in 2019.
With Shetty and Sharma’s withdrawals, the BJP has averted the risk of an internal vote split in two crucial Mumbai constituencies. This development allows the party to present a unified front as it heads into the assembly elections. However, the dissent voiced by prominent leaders like Shetty and Sharma highlights ongoing challenges for the BJP in balancing party unity with the ambitions of its experienced cadre.
As Maharashtra’s 81-member assembly election approaches, the BJP will need to navigate such internal issues carefully, especially in critical strongholds like Borivali. The party’s ability to manage such conflicts will likely impact its overall performance in the state, where unity and discipline remain pivotal for electoral success.
