DISCONTENT IN MAHARASHTRA BJP OVER MLC ELECTIONS

Party functionaries are confident that Amit Shah will take necessary action in the matter.

Discontent is seething in the Maharashtra unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party for its choice of candidates for the elections of the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Elections to all the 10 seats were held unopposed this week. The BJP has invited the wrath of its rank and file in the state by giving nominations to two persons, Praveen Darekar and R.N. Singh, who had changed loyalties from the Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) and the Congress, respectively, to the BJP, and have been charged of corruption. While the BJP can nominate five persons for the unopposed elections, seven persons had filed nominations in the state. Two members withdrew their membership towards the end of the week, paving way for the unopposed polls. But discontent in the party continues. “There are so many loyal activists and leaders of the party, who have given years for building the party. What is the point of giving tickets to outsiders by sidelining the loyalists? At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is talking of clean government, the BJP in Maharashtra is giving tickets to two tainted politicians who were not even part of the party cadre originally. What is wrong in asking that your house should be cleaned up? Is this rebellion?” asked Vivekanand Gupta, secretary, Mumbai unit of the BJP. “There is definitely unrest and discontent within the party. The sentiments are very strong,” said another senior leader who did not wish to be named. Many senior and deserving candidates have been sidelined, another party leader said. There were rumours that some of the senior leaders would be pacified by giving them the status of Ministers of State and work responsibility. This could not be con- firmed from government or party sources.

This week, the party declared the names of the following candidates—Praveen Darekar, R.N. Singh, Prasad Lad, Vinayak Mete, Sadabhau Khot and party general secretary Sujitsingh Thakur. Party member Manoj Kotak too filed nomination as an independent candidate. The two other smaller allies who filed their nominations were Shiv Sangram’s Vinayak Mete and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana’s Sadabhau Khot. These smaller allies also expect to be accommodated in the Cabinet reshuffle which is likely to happen this month.

There has been a barrage of opposition to the nomination of Praveen Darekar and R.N. Singh. While R. N. Singh jumped from the Congress to the BJP, Praveen Darekar came from the MNS. Many BJP leaders had in the past levelled allegations of corruption against Darekar in a co-operative bank. R.N. Singh is believed to be Congress leader Kripashankar Singh’s close confidant. Kripashankar Singh faces a probe for the alleged accumulation of disproportionate assets. “There is an FIR against Praveen Darekar. He has been accused of siphoning