Ex-BJP MP, former Corporator file papers against Mahayuti candidates 

Mumbai, Oct 29 (IANS) In a major jolt to the BJP ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections, two-term party MP Gopal Shetty and former Corporator Atul Shah staged a rebellion and filed nomination papers as Independents on Tuesday – the last day for joining the fray. 

Shetty, who was denied a ticket by the BJP during Lok Sabha elections, filed the nomination from Borivali seat from where the BJP has officially fielded Mumbai unit general secretary Sanjay Upadhyay.

Atul Shah, a confidant of former Union minister Jayawantiben Mehta, filed his nomination papers from Mumbadevi constituency which BJP has left for its Mahayuti partner Shiv Sena.

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has decided to field former BJP spokesperson Shaina NC from Mumbadevi. The Congress has named Amin Patel.

Shah had recently met Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and unsuccessfully made a case for his nomination from Mumbadevi seat.

The last day for withdrawing names is November 4. Voting for picking a new 288-member Assembly will take place on November 20 and the results will be declared on November 23.

Shetty filed his papers after BJP Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar held talks with him on Tuesday but failed to convince him to not contest as an independent.

“I have decided to fight independently for the honor of the aggrieved Borivali residents. I am loyal to my party. There is no Dharamshala (rest house) in Borivali where anyone can come and fight the election,’’ said Shetty.

Shetty, who dropped his plan to go against the party’s decision of nominating Union minister Piyush Goyal from Mumbai North seat in the Lok Sabha elections, claimed he was upset over the party’s decision to field Upadhyay from the seat.

‘’Repeated harassment is not right. I have not left the BJP’s ideology. I will not go to another party,” he said.

Shetty recalled that the party nominated Vinod Tawde from Borivali in 2014 elections and later Sunil Rane in the 2019 elections. Both were from outside Borivali. ‘’I was an MP and I was replaced by Piyush Goyal as Lok Sabha candidate. Still I stood by Goyal. Now the same thing happened again in the Assembly election,” he said.

Shah, too, expressed disappointment over being denied a BJP ticket. “I worked in the constituency for five years but the ticket was given to someone else. Is this a game of musical chairs?’’ he asked.

Meanwhile, Shaina NC after filing her nomination from Mumbadevi constituency, said in post on X, ‘’I want to thank our PM Narendra Modiji, the leadership of Mahayuti, Eknath Shinde ji, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar because I believe that this is an opportunity to serve my Mumbaikars.’’

She also offered prayers at Goddess Mumbadevi before filing her nomination papers. ‘’Today, before filing my nomination from Mumbadevi Assembly constituency, I received the blessings of our dear sisters. The support and blessings of our sisters always inspire me to remain dedicated to public service and national service with new resolve and energy every day,’’ she said.