Mass resignations rock BJP in Nagpur, more exits likely

Mass resignations have hit BJP ahead of Nagpur municipal elections on January 15. More than 80 party workers from Prabhag 16(d) in Nagpur have tendered their resignations, dealing a blow to the party’s organisational strength in the area. Sources say more resignations from across the city are expected in coming days.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Gajanan Nishitkar, former BJP president of the Prabhag, said that a total of 80 workers have resigned so far, including 45 office-bearers. He said he was also denied a ticket in the 2017 elections, and a similar situation has played out this time as well.

“This time, the seat was open and I was a claimant. I have the highest number of booths in the Prabhag (24). I was repeatedly told to keep my documents ready for form-filling. Even our senior leaders made efforts. However, the ticket was given to a woman candidate who is neither local nor a resident of this Prabhag,” Nishitkar said.

President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nagpur City unit, Dayashankar Tiwari, told The Indian Express, “Whatever resignation people are tendering that is being done only on social media platforms. I have not personally received any resignation in writing and it would not be correct to comment on the said matter yet.”

High tension drama also unfolded at the residence of former mayor Archana Dehankar on Wednesday after she left home and went to her parents’ house following her husband’s decision to resign from BJP and contest the NMC elections as an independent candidate.

Speaking to the media, her husband Vinayak Dehankar said he has been a BJP worker since 1984, when the area was a Congress stronghold, and claimed to have worked to build the party organisation from the grassroots. “My wife had earlier received a ticket and won. However, in Prabhag 17, instead of giving candidature to new local workers, tickets were given to outsiders, including a former Congress candidate. I am upset over this decision,” he said.

Dehankar added that none of the four candidates fielded were locals, prompting him to resign from the party. “I did not expect the party to grow in this manner by sidelining its own workers,” he said. He also said that his wife, who is a state-level office-bearer, is upset with his decision to file nomination as an independent candidate, following which she went to her parental home.

The political landscape across major municipal corporations in Vidarbha have emerged divided, with alliances strained and parties choosing to contest independently.

In Nagpur Municipal Corporation, the BJP–Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) alliance has remained intact, though with a visibly uneven seat-sharing arrangement. The BJP announced a list of 143 candidates, while Shiv Sena was allotted only eight seats. The opposition, however, appeared fragmented. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) decided to go solo. Congress announced nearly 100 candidates on the final day, while the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP fielded 79 candidates. Shiv Sena (UBT) also opted to contest independently. On the last day, almost all parties signalled independent runs, reflecting poor coordination within both the Mahayuti and Maha Aghadi camps.

On behalf of the NCP (SP), tickets have been given to 79 candidates for the Nagpur Municipal Corporation. After an alliance agreement was reached, the Congress broke the alliance, allegedly to benefit the BJP, said the NCP sources.

For the upcoming Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections, a mutually agreed seat-sharing formula had been finalised between the NCP (SP) and the Congress. However, on the final day, Congress leaders did not provide any proper response, NCP alleged. Without any prior intimation, the Congress issued ‘B-forms’ to its own candidates on seats that had been allotted to the NCP (SP). As a result, they fielded 79 candidates in the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections.

In Chandrapur Municipal Corporation, which has 66 seats, the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance continued, with BJP contesting 57 seats and Shiv Sena nine. Congress retained most seats for itself, allotting only three to Jan Vikas Sena.

The political contest in Akola also appeared to be fragmented. The BJP and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) are allied, with BJP contesting 66 seats and NCP 14. Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) is contesting independently. Congress and the NCP (SP) faction are fighting together, with Congress fielding 55 candidates. Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced 55 candidates with support from the MNS and Prahar Janshakti Party. Meanwhile, AIMIM and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi decided to contest independently.

In Amravati, all major parties announced their candidates, signalling that they would contest independently. While the Mahayuti alliance has been broken, the Maha Aghadi failed to take shape completely. The BJP announced candidates for 75 seats, of which six were allotted to Yuva Swabhiman. Congress released a list of 74 candidates and allocated 13 seats to its allies. The NCP declared 82 candidates, while the Shiv Sena announced 69 candidates.

With alliances fractured and multi-cornered contests emerging, the civic polls are expected to see intense competition across Vidarbha, with even the former BJP office-bearers contesting as independent candidates.