The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Navi Mumbai has taken strict action against its former president, Sandeep Naik, for engaging in activities that are against the party’s interests. This decision came after Naik rebelled against the party when he was denied a ticket to contest from the Belapur constituency, where the current BJP MLA, Manda Mhatre, has been renominated.
Naik has since joined the NCP (SP) and is now running as the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate from Belapur, challenging Mhatre. However, the state party president, Jayant Patil, has welcomed Naik and his supporters back to the party they had left in 2019.
Interestingly, Naik’s father, former minister and Airoli BJP MLA Ganesh Naik, has remained with the BJP and has been renominated from Airoli. Despite this, several BJP corporators and office bearers, particularly from Belapur, who had joined the BJP when the Naiks left the then-united NCP, have pledged their support to Sandeep and are actively campaigning for him.
BJP Navi Mumbai president Ramchandra Gharat emphasized the party’s discipline and the importance of abiding by the decisions made by the party. He expressed disappointment over Naik’s actions, stating that the party had to take a strong decision to send a clear message that such indiscipline would not be tolerated.
Gharat explained that the former corporators who were suspended were still officially BJP members, as they had not resigned and were campaigning for Sandeep. The party’s core committee had heard reports that these individuals were planning to return to the party after the elections, causing confusion among party members and the public. Therefore, the suspensions were put in place for six years to put an end to such speculations.
This incident highlights the internal struggles and conflicts that can arise within political parties during election periods. It also underscores the importance of party discipline and unity in working towards common goals and objectives. The BJP’s decisive actions in this case serve as a reminder of the consequences of going against party principles and decisions.
