Navi Mumbai, 12th November 2024: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has permanently expelled its former Navi Mumbai president Sandeep Naik and suspended 25 former corporators and office bearers for six years due to “anti-party activities.”

Naik’s expulsion follows his revolt after being denied a ticket for the Belapur constituency, which has been given to the incumbent BJP MLA, Manda Mhatre. In response, Naik joined the NCP (SP) and is now contesting as the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate against Mhatre. State BJP president Jayant Patil has welcomed Naik and his supporters back into the party they had left in 2019.

In a surprising turn, Naik’s father, Ganesh Naik, a former minister and BJP MLA from Airoli, remains with the BJP and has been re-nominated for the Airoli seat.

Several BJP corporators and office bearers, especially from Belapur, who had joined the party when the Naiks left the united NCP, are now backing Sandeep Naik and campaigning for him.

BJP Navi Mumbai president Ramchandra Gharat, who had also sought the ticket, remarked, “BJP is a party of discipline, and one must accept the party’s decisions.” He emphasized the necessity of a strong response to Naik’s rebellion, stating, “The party had to take a firm stand to signal that indiscipline won’t be tolerated.”

Regarding the suspensions, Gharat explained that the former corporators had not resigned from the BJP, yet were campaigning for Naik. The party core committee was concerned that some of the rebels might return to the party after the elections, creating confusion among the cadre and voters. To put an end to such uncertainty, the six-year suspensions were enforced.