Maharashtra polls: BJP rebel Gopal Shetty announces withdrawal of nomination
Mumbai (PTI): Senior leader and former MP Gopal Shetty, who had filed nomination as an independent after the BJP denied ticket to him, on Monday announced withdrawal of his candidature from Borivali assembly seat in Mumbai.
The BJP has nominated Sanjay Upadhyay from the Borivali seat for the November 20 state assembly polls.
Monday is the last day for withdrawing nominations.
On Sunday, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde held a meeting with Shetty to persuade him to withdraw his nomination.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Shetty said, "I am withdrawing my nomination today. My objection was to the BJP's style of functioning where decisions were taken without any consultation with party workers like me. The party was consistently nominating candidates for the assembly elections from outside, and it was presumed that it was being carried out with my consultation."
"I was never consulted when candidates were selected for the Borivali assembly segment (in the past). I am a party worker and I always expressed my concerns towards a certain style of decision-making," he said.
Another BJP rebel, Sweekruti Sharma, from Andheri East assembly also announced withdrawal of her nomination.
Shetty's rebellion was seen as a blow to the BJP in its stronghold.
He won the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat by margins of more than four lakh in 2014 and 2019, but was denied a ticket in the 2024 general elections. The seat was won by senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, who is now Union minister.
Shetty, a veteran of the Mumbai north region, was MLA from Borivali in 2004 and 2009. He was also corporator from the area for several years.
In 2014, Shetty won the Lok Sabha election, and the BJP nominated Vinod Tawde from the Borivali assembly seat, considered one of the safest constituencies for the party.
Tawde was not re-nominated in 2019 and he later became BJP's national general secretary.
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Kharge calls NDA ‘opportunist alliance thriving on corruption’ at rally
Puducherry (PTI): Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said the NDA "is an opportunist alliance that thrives on corruption and the looting of public assets".
Addressing a rally of the INDIA bloc in Puducherry, the Congress president said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "had done nothing" for the union territory’s development.
He urged voters to back the INDIA bloc in the April 9 Assembly polls, calling it "an opportunity for the people to fight against divisive forces led by the BJP and RSS, which are destroying unity, harmony, and the progressive spirit of Puducherry."
Kharge also criticised the BJP for neglecting smaller states like Puducherry and made a strong case for granting it statehood, promising, "Congress will secure statehood—this is a guarantee we give to the people here".
He alleged that under the current AINRC-BJP coalition, Puducherry is "riddled with corruption and a 30 per cent commission system," with the NDA government exploiting the union territory, despite it being "one of the country’s most beautiful places".
He expressed concern over "misuse of funds and stalled development", alleging corruption had "seeped into every sector".
Kharge claimed that despite Prime Minister Modi’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption, "everything in practice is being handed to one person, Adani—from land to skies."
He added that the NDA was "exploiting land, temple lands, and public property."
The Congress leader also criticised the AINRC-BJP rule for granting permits for around 450 liquor shops and restaurants over the last five years, claiming, "Instead of providing clean water, the government has been giving liquor to the people."
Kharge compared the current situation with the previous Congress rule, highlighting development across sectors, particularly healthcare. "Hospitals were established here to take care of the health of the people," he said.
Among his promises, Kharge pledged "gold for mangala sutra" for women if Congress is elected, along with free education from primary school to research level.
He reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promises to Puducherry had not materialised and renewed his call for full statehood, citing the lack of powers as a "hindrance" to the elected government.
He recalled that during the previous Congress rule, then Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who was also present, faced interference from then Lt Governor Kiran Bedi.
Kharge said Congress has always stood with the people and would continue to improve their lives through developmental programmes, as it had during earlier administrations.
The meeting was presided over by Puducherry PCC president V Vaithilingam, and among the speakers was S P Sivakumar of the DMK.
