Nashik: Dissident BJP Corporators Under Scanner After Cross-Voting Shock

Nashik: The state leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (Bharatiya Janata Party) has taken serious note of the dramatic developments in the Nashik Local Authorities Constituency election, which witnessed rebellion before polling and an unprecedented split in votes after the results.

As many as 218 Mahayuti votes reportedly went in favour of an independent candidate, while 13 votes were declared invalid. The party has now ordered an inquiry to determine the extent of cross-voting by BJP corporators.

The election had already attracted statewide attention after Gokul Gite, brother of BJP leader Ganesh Gite, entered the fray against official Mahayuti candidate Narendra Darade despite the alliance having announced Darade’s candidature.

Senior ministers Girish Mahajan, Uday Samant and Dadaji Bhuse later persuaded Gite to withdraw from active campaigning. However, since the withdrawal came after the nomination deadline, his name remained on the ballot paper.

The final result proved startling. Despite Mahayuti having a strength of 466 corporators, Narendra Darade secured only 289 votes, while Gokul Gite registered a convincing victory. The outcome triggered allegations of large-scale cross-voting within all three alliance partners.

Following the defeat, Darade and his brother, MLA Kishor Darade, directly blamed the alliance’s senior ministers for the setback. BJP leadership has since directed city president Sunil Kedar to investigate the source of the missing votes and submit a detailed report.

The inquiry is expected to identify how many BJP votes shifted to the Independent candidate and who was responsible. The move has reportedly created anxiety among BJP corporators, as disciplinary action could follow if party members are found guilty of violating the party whip.

Sunil Kedar, BJP Nashik City President, said, "At present, it is difficult to determine exactly how many corporators engaged in cross-voting. However, it appears that some BJP votes, along with votes from alliance partners, were cast in favour of the independent candidate. Despite repeated instructions regarding party discipline and adherence to the official mandate during the pre-election camp, some votes were diverted. The state leadership has taken the matter seriously and ordered an inquiry. Work on the report is underway and it will be submitted soon."