Maharashtra Assembly 2024: Borivli Dissent Remains, Mumbadevi Tensions Subdued

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) successfully addressed the dissent caused by former MLA Atul Shah in the Mumbadevi Assembly constituency. However, it appears the party will need to put in more effort to appease former MP Gopal Shetty, who has submitted his nomination as an independent candidate for Borivali, where the party has nominated Sanjay Upadhyay.

Shah felt discontented because the party overlooked him despite his repeated requests and allocated the Mumbadevi segment to Shiv Sena (Shinde), which nominated BJP leader Shaina NC as its official candidate. Shetty has voiced his opposition to the party's choice to impose another outsider on this secure constituency.

In a significant turn of events, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has chosen to bring in external candidates for the Borivli constituency for the third consecutive time since 2014, sidelining local leaders once again. Gopal Shetty, a former MLA, was replaced by Vinod Tawde in 2014, and Sunil Rane's entry subsequently led to Tawde's departure, with Sanjay Upadhyay taking over Rane's position. This year, Shetty, a two-time MP from Mumbai North, has been replaced by outsider Piyush Goyal, with sources indicating that he had been assured the Borivli Assembly seat.

Former MLA Atul Shah called on his supporters to join him on Tuesday morning to submit his nomination papers for the Mumbadevi constituency, where he faced defeat in 2019. He had requested a BJP ticket, but the party not only allocated the constituency to Shiv Sena but also selected Shaina NC as the ally's candidate. This decision left Shah feeling disheartened.However, Shah decided to cancel his plan following a meeting with the state in-charge, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, and co-in-charge Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.