Nashik Local Bodies MLC Election: Gokul Gite Withdraws, Clearing Path For Mahayuti Candidate Narendra Darade

Nashik: The suspense over independent candidate Gokul Gite’s stand in the Nashik Local Bodies Legislative Council election has finally ended. Gite announced at a press conference that he was withdrawing from the election campaign. With this, the path has been cleared for Mahayuti’s official candidate and Shiv Sena nominee Narendra Darade.

Kumbh Mela Minister Girish Mahajan, who was present at the press conference, announced that Gokul Gite had stepped back from the contest, confirming that Narendra Darade would remain Mahayuti’s official candidate from the Nashik constituency.

The announcement came after several hours of discussions at the residence of BJP leader and Gokul Gite’s elder brother Ganesh Gite. The meeting was attended by ministers Girish Mahajan, Uday Samant, Dada Bhuse, MLA Suhas Kande, former corporator Ganesh Gite, former deputy mayor Vilas Shinde and Shiv Sena deputy leader Ajay Boraste, among others.

Gokul Gite, along with his brother Ganesh Gite, had met Girish Mahajan and Uday Samant in Mumbai on Wednesday, where discussions were held regarding the Nashik Legislative Council election. Following these talks, Gite announced that he was stopping his election campaign.

For the past several days, senior Mahayuti leaders had been making efforts to convince Gite to withdraw. Finally, those efforts appear to have succeeded.
Gite leaves without answering the support question.
During the press conference, when Gokul Gite was directly asked whether he would officially support Narendra Darade after withdrawing from the election, he did not respond and abruptly left the venue.

Before leaving, Gite expressed his grievances openly. He said, “I am not afraid of any inquiry. I have stepped back to ensure that everyone’s dignity is maintained. Accept people’s demands, you already have two MLAs in your family, now focus on resolving people’s issues,” he said while advising the Darade brothers.

Despite withdrawing from the contest, Gite’s dissatisfaction towards the Darade family appeared evident.

Allegations of pressure behind the withdrawal
The developments have also sparked discussions in political circles over whether “pressure tactics” played a role in Gite’s decision. The efforts by Mahayuti leaders to persuade him and correspondence related to the case involving his brother Ganesh Gite have become a topic of discussion.

It is being reported that a letter sent by the state government’s legal department to the Additional Government Advocate, High Court, regarding a possible appeal in the Supreme Court against Ganesh Gite’s anticipatory bail in the Nashik MHADA case, has drawn attention.

Sources claim that the letter regarding approaching the Supreme Court against Ganesh Gite’s bail was received on June 1, the same day when the Gite brothers’ discussions regarding the election took place.

However, there has been no official confirmation that the legal proceedings influenced Gokul Gite’s decision, and the matter remains a subject of political speculation.