Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday suspended 26 of its office bearers, including several former corporators, for a period of six years for allegedly defying party discipline during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections 2026. The action was taken against leaders who either contested the civic polls as rebel candidates or failed to cooperate with Mahayuti nominees despite repeated instructions from the party leadership.
Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ameet Satam, in the suspension order, stated that the disciplinary action was necessitated as these office bearers continued to work against the party line and Mahayuti candidates. “Despite repeated requests from the party, these leaders did not extend cooperation to official candidates in the BMC elections,” the order said, as reported by the Times of India.
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Nehal Shah, Janhvi Rane Among Suspended Functionaries
Among those suspended are Divya Dhole from Ward 60 in Versova, Nehal Amar Shah from Ward 177 in Matunga, Janhvi Rane from Ward 205 in Abhyudaya Nagar and Asawari Patil from Ward 2 in Borivali. Several other office bearers across the city have also been suspended for allegedly indulging in activities that harmed the party’s prospects in the civic polls.
A senior BJP functionary explained that the party’s decisions on ticket distribution were based on surveys and internal assessments, with winnability being the primary criterion. “In many wards, there was strong anti-incumbency and complaints about the lack of citizen connect. Local office bearers had also raised concerns. Based on this feedback, the party decided to replace some sitting or aspiring candidates,” the functionary said, as quoted by TOI.
Citing the example of Nehal Shah, the leader said she not only filed her nomination against the official BJP candidate but also allegedly attempted to defame the party nominee and weaken the BJP’s electoral prospects. In Ward 177, the party ultimately chose Kalpesha Jesal Kothari as its official candidate, describing her as a strong local face with better acceptability.
While many aspirants who were denied tickets accepted the party’s decision or withdrew their nominations, some chose to contest the elections despite repeated appeals from the leadership. Senior leaders admitted that the party may have taken longer than expected to act against rebels but said the suspensions were unavoidable.
Working Against Party Ideology: Ameet Satam On Rebels
“Some of those suspended are rebel candidates, while others were working against party ideology and the Mahayuti alliance. Despite several warnings, they continued anti-party activities. The suspensions are part of strict disciplinary action,” Satam said as quoted by TOI.
Last week, the BJP managed to persuade a few rebels to withdraw from the race. These included party worker Sunita Yadav, who had filed as an independent from Ward 1, and former corporator Janak Sanghavi from Ward 221, who withdrew his nomination, paving the way for Aakash Purohit as the party’s official candidate.
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