REBELS IN BJP GLASS HOUSE

The 'party with a difference' is grappling with rebels as much as the Opposition MVA

- Ravikiran Deshmukh

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), long renowned for its disciplined, "party with a difference," image, is grappling with unexpected fractures across its ranks in the lead-up to state assembly elections. As candidates declare their independence from party mandates and alliance partners defy instructions, a new portrait of BJP's strained control is emerging.

On Tuesday, former MP and party stalwart Gopal Shetty took a bold stand, filing his nomination as an independent for the Borivali assembly seat. After years of serving the BJP—from corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to MLA and then MP—Shetty's discontent is plain. Despite consistent victories, Shetty feels ignored, citing frustration over the party's decision to parachute candidates unconnected to the area. His comments were thinly veiled barbs directed at candidates like Piyush Goyal, a South Mumbai resident selected for the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat, and Vinod Tawade from Vile Parle, chosen for the 2014 Borivali assembly election.

Shetty's stance has sparked widespread curiosity: will he remain steadfast or withdraw his nomination by November 4?

Adding to the tension, Atul Shah, a senior BJP leader, nearly rebelled against the party's decision to select Shaina NC for the Mumbadevi constituency—an area he knows well. Shah's resistance dissipated after intervention from senior party figures, but the incident underscores the widening rifts in the BJP's ranks.