In a highly unconventional move, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opted against releasing a formal list of candidates for the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Instead, the party quietly issued AB forms to selected candidates in the dead of night, post-midnight on Sunday and into the early hours of Monday.
Stealth Strategy and Social Media Announcements
The chosen candidates personally announced their candidature on social media platforms, posting photographs of themselves filing nomination papers. This covert method of candidate declaration marks a significant departure from the usual fanfare surrounding such announcements for a major local body election. The last date for filing nominations for these high-stakes polls is December 30.
Political observers and sources within the party suggest that this unusual approach indicates a sense of unease within the BJP's ranks. The decision appears designed to manage potential backlash and rebellion from disgruntled aspirants who were denied tickets, a situation that has proven difficult to contain this election season.
Widespread Resentment and Open Rebellion
While the party has historically managed to quell internal dissent swiftly—as seen when former MP Gopal Shetty withdrew his revolt within days after being denied a Lok Sabha ticket—the current scenario is markedly different. The rebellion is more widespread and vocal.
In Jalgaon, Minister Girish Mahajan attempted to pacify upset party workers by promising that those overlooked this time would be accommodated in the future. Meanwhile, in Nagpur, Revenue Minister Bawankule was surrounded by agitated workers outside Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's residence. They demanded answers on the future of loyalists who had toiled for the party for years.
Key Factors Fueling the Discontent
The discontent stems from several controversial decisions by the party leadership. A few months ago, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that 40% of the candidates for the BMC elections would be below the age of 35. This push for youth, coupled with the decision not to field many 'senior' ex-corporators, has created friction.
Adding fuel to the fire is the allocation of tickets to recent party joiners. Rakhi Jadhav received a ticket within hours of joining the BJP, and Tejasvee Ghosalkar was accommodated less than a fortnight after her induction. This preferential treatment for newcomers over longstanding workers has caused significant resentment at the grassroots level.
Furthermore, the party's alliance with the Shiv Sena has altered the electoral arithmetic. In the 2017 BMC polls, the BJP contested all 227 seats independently. This time, the seat-sharing pact has substantially reduced the number of constituencies available for BJP candidates, intensifying the competition for tickets.
Party workers have also openly criticized the nomination of relatives of elected representatives. Borivli MLA Sanjay Upadhyay and party office-bearer Vivekanand Gupta formally wrote to the party's top brass expressing their concerns. Despite this, several family members of sitting politicians have managed to secure candidacies.
The BJP's midnight maneuver for the BMC elections underscores a party in a delicate balancing act. It is attempting to inject fresh blood and honor alliance commitments while struggling to manage the fallout from its core supporters, setting the stage for a tense and closely watched civic battle in India's financial capital.
