Mumbai: A day after the filing of nominations for the municipal elections drew to a close, political parties scrambled to contain rebellion. Senior leaders have been deputed to assuage the candidates who had filed papers as independents after losing out in the race for tickets. Over 2,700 nominations have been filed for 227 seats of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
The Shiv Sena, which has been facing a major internal crisis, had maximum rebels, filling up independent forms in wards at Mahim, Prabhadevi, and Ghatkopar. “We are working hard to pacify them (rebels); if they do not listen, we are telling them to look at the fate of all those who had left the party in 2012 elections,” senior Cabinet Minister and Sena leader Ramdas Kadam told reporters.
The Sena has been facing protests outside several of its shakhas with party workers locking offices. The party has also been witnessing opposition to several of its leading candidates, including Mayor Snehal Ambekar and sitting corporator Kishori Pednekar, while sitting corporators Dinesh Panchal and Nana Ambole have joined the BJP.
In protest against the ticket distribution, shakha pramukh Rohita Thakur (ward 190), former shakha pramukh Mahesh Sawant (ward 194) fielded themselves against the official Sena candidates in their areas. Senior Sena leader Sudhir More also fielded sister-in-law Snehal More against the Sena’s sitting corporator, Bharati Bavdane, at Vikhroli.
The efforts to convince rebels to come back were also made in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. Senior BJP leaders said they are in touch with the local units to ease tension among the cadre. “We don’t think there is a rebellion on a large scale. However, all efforts are being made to ensure those who did not get tickets too campaign for the party and its common goal,” said a BJP leader.
The Congress, wary of the discontent, did not even release its official list of candidates until late night. Those who rebelled in the two parties, alleged nepotism within party ranks, venting frustration on the ‘outsiders’ preferred by party seniors.
Congress city president Sanjay Nirupam said the party has moved from the nomination phase. “Our campaign will be launched on Sunday at Malvani, and in the same rally, we will release our manifesto.”
