Barely weeks before the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) elections scheduled for January 15, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing internal turmoil with a wave of resignations by party workers in the city. The development is expected to impact the party’s organisational strength at the grassroots level.
More than 80 BJP workers from Prabhag 16(d) in Nagpur have resigned from the party so far. Sources indicate that further resignations from other parts of the city are likely in the coming days. Former Prabhag BJP president Gajanan Nishitkar confirmed the resignations, stating that at least 80 workers, including 45 office-bearers, have stepped down.
Nishitkar said he was denied a party ticket in the 2017 civic elections and claimed a similar situation has unfolded again. “This time the seat was open and I was a claimant. I have the highest number of booths in the Prabhag — 24 — and was repeatedly asked to keep my documents ready for form-filling. Senior leaders also made efforts, but the ticket was ultimately given to a woman candidate who is neither local nor a resident of the area,” he said.
Reacting to the developments, BJP Nagpur City unit president Dayashankar Tiwari said the resignations being discussed were limited to social media platforms. “I have not personally received any resignation in writing, and it would not be correct to comment on the matter at this stage”.
Meanwhile, political tension also surfaced at the residence of former mayor Archana Dehankar on Wednesday after her husband, Vinayak Dehankar, resigned from the BJP and announced his decision to contest the NMC elections as an independent candidate. Following the move, Archana Dehankar reportedly left their home and went to her parents’ house.
Speaking to the media, Vinayak Dehankar said he has been associated with the BJP since 1984, when the area was considered a Congress stronghold, and claimed to have played a role in building the party’s grassroots organisation. “My wife earlier received a ticket and won. However, in Prabhag 17, instead of giving opportunities to new local workers, tickets were allotted to outsiders, including a former Congress candidate. This has deeply upset me,” he said.
Dehankar added that none of the four candidates fielded in the Prabhag were locals, prompting his resignation. “I did not expect the party to grow by sidelining its own workers,” he said. He also stated that his wife, a state-level office-bearer, is distressed by his decision to contest as an independent candidate.
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