MUMBAI:A week is a long time in politics, and after days of spewing fire over the locals versus outsiders issue, BJP ex-MP Gopal Shetty declared his withdrawal from the electoral race.
Announcing his decision to withdraw, Shetty said, “Senior leaders approached me (to withdraw), listened to my concerns after which I decided to withdraw my nomination. Our winning margin on the Borivali seat will be high as it was earlier."
Shetty had filed his nomination as an independent from the Borivali assembly constituency after being denied a ticket by the party. He had defended his decision to contest “out of concern for local workers who have been continually overlooked.”
BJP party leaders immediately got to work after Shetty announced his decision to contest. He was called for meetings with Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis and senior BJP party office-bearers.
Two days ago, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde had posted pictures of Shetty with BJP leaders on social media, stating, “I am with the BJP and I will do nothing to damage the party.”
The party had left nothing to chance. It even proposed to hold a public meeting of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Borivali on November 8 or 9. Shah was also to meet influential citizens from the Gujarati, Jain, and Marwari communities. Borivali has a high concentration of Marathi and Gujarati populations, while the north-Indian population is not very significant.
The BJP's official candidate, Sanjay Upadhyay, is a North Indian and not from Borivali. On Monday, when Shetty announced his withdrawal, Union minister and local MP Piyush Goyal was with him along with Tawde.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Clara Lewis is a Senior Editor (Government & Policy). She enjoys ...
Read MoreClara Lewis is a Senior Editor (Government & Policy). She enjoys meeting people, reading and travel, and keeps her eye on the changing face of the city and its rapid evolving demographic profile.
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