In a dramatic twist ahead of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections, a significant internal rift has surfaced within the Shiv Sena (UBT) camp. The party's own city president has decided to contest against its district president, setting the stage for an unprecedented intra-party battle.
Nomination Filed Against Party Colleague
Nitin Tiwari, who serves as the Shiv Sena UBT's city president for Nagpur, has officially filed his nomination papers to run as an independent candidate. His opponent? None other than his own party's district president, Kishore Kumeriya. This move highlights a deep-seated disagreement over candidate categorization that has split the local party unit.
Tiwari explained his controversial decision, stating that he is contesting with the backing of his party's senior leadership, albeit without using the official party symbol. The core of the dispute lies in the reservation category chosen by Kumeriya for the upcoming polls.
The Root of the Conflict: Category Switch
According to Tiwari, the conflict arose when Kishore Kumeriya filed his nomination from the open category instead of the OBC (Other Backward Class) category. This move effectively blocked Tiwari's opportunity to contest from the same 'prabhag' or ward, as Tiwari himself belongs to the open category.
"What is surprising," Tiwari noted, "is that Kumeriya had contested twice before from the OBC category. This sudden switch to the general category this time is puzzling and has directly impacted my candidacy." Tiwari claims he brought this issue to the attention of senior party leaders, including MPs Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai, who granted him permission to run as a party-supported independent candidate.
Political Repercussions and a Possible BJP Advantage
Tiwari expressed concern that this internal confusion could inadvertently benefit their political rivals. He suggested that a BJP candidate contesting from the OBC category might secure a victory due to the split in the Shiv Sena UBT's voter base. "This situation could potentially hand over the advantage to our opponents," he warned.
Despite multiple attempts by media outlets, Kishore Kumeriya remained unavailable for comment, leaving his side of the story untold. However, the political drama may still see a last-minute change. January 2 is the final day for withdrawal of nominations, and rumors are circulating that some Shiv Sena candidates might opt out before the deadline, which could prevent the two party members from directly facing each other in the electoral arena.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections are now poised to witness this unique internal party contest, underscoring the complexities of ticket distribution and caste-based reservations in India's hyper-local politics. The outcome will be closely watched as a test of the party's internal discipline and its electoral strategy in Maharashtra.
