Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 6 (HBTV): Amid an ongoing seat-sharing dispute among Mahayuti allies, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday expelled 40 leaders and office bearers from 37 assembly constituencies for defying party directives.
"Despite holding the office bearer post in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), you have worked to violate party discipline. Such actions are a breach of party discipline, and you are being expelled from the party immediately," read a release signed by Maharashtra BJP office secretary Mukul Kulkarni.
The party published the names of the 40 expelled leaders, including Ashok Pangarkar from the Jalna assembly constituency, Vishal Prabhakar Parab from Sawantwadi, Mayur Kapse from Jalgaon City, Jagdish Gupta from Amravati, and Shrikant Karle from Dhule Rural, among others. Karle recently filed a nomination from Dhule Rural as an Independent candidate.
This action follows a statement by Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who said the party would attempt to persuade the rebels to withdraw their nominations as Independent candidates by November 4. On Monday, senior BJP leader Gopal Shetty withdrew his candidacy from the Borivali assembly seat in north Mumbai after rebelling against the BJP’s decision to grant a ticket to Sanjay Upadhyay. Shetty is a two-time MP from the north Mumbai Lok Sabha constituency.
Meanwhile, the Mahayuti alliance unveiled its much-anticipated manifesto on Tuesday, presenting a vision aimed at driving Maharashtra toward "unprecedented prosperity and development." At a public meeting in Kolhapur North, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, launched the manifesto, underscoring the alliance's commitment to transformative growth and a progressive future for the state. The Mahayuti alliance comprises the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for November 20, with counting for all 288 constituencies set for November 23. In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.
(ANI)