Kalyan: Just days before the crucial Kalyan–Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing an embarrassing internal rift in Kalyan’s Panel No. 7 (D), where its officially authorised candidate Dr Pankaj Upadhyay has been allegedly sidelined by the party’s own senior local leaders in favour of a rebel candidate.
What has intensified the controversy is the manner in which Dr Upadhyay—who had filed his nomination on the BJP ticket—was later compelled to withdraw his candidature under pressure, triggering strong resentment within the influential North Indian (Uttar Bharatiya) community.
BJP’s Ticket Formula and Sudden U-Turn
The KDMC has 122 wards, and the BJP had allotted two tickets to North Indian candidates as part of its alliance arrangement. These included Saroj Rai, wife of Manoj Rai from Kalyan East, and Dr Pankaj Upadhyay from Kalyan West.
Under the alliance formula in Panel No. 7, three seats were allotted to the BJP and one to the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction). Accordingly, the candidates announced were:
Panel 7(A): Vijaya Pote (Shiv Sena – Shinde)
Panel 7(B): Shaml Mangesh Gaikar (BJP)
Panel 7(C): Hema Pawar (BJP)
Panel 7(D): Dr Pankaj Upadhyay (BJP)
However, soon after the nomination process was completed, Dr Upadhyay was allegedly forced to withdraw his nomination, reportedly under pressure from senior BJP leaders based in Kalyan.
Community Anger Builds
The move has not gone down well with the North Indian community, which feels cheated and politically marginalised.
Vijay Pandit, Founder and Trustee of the Uttar Bharatiya Samaj Kalyan Parishad, openly expressed anger over the episode.
“First the party was reluctant to give tickets to North Indians. When BJP finally gave two tickets, one was forcefully taken back. This is unacceptable. The North Indian community is deeply hurt and this anger will be reflected on polling day,” Pandit warned.
‘Friendly Withdrawal’ or Forced Exit?
While the BJP has officially remained silent, a senior local leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that Dr Upadhyay had withdrawn his nomination due to “friendly understanding.”
But this explanation has failed to convince party workers and local residents, especially because Dr Upadhyay was considered a strong contender. In the previous municipal election, he had lost by a narrow margin of just 113 votes while contesting from another party.
“This time he was fully prepared and confident of victory. Yet suddenly he is out of the race. It is hard to believe this was voluntary,” a local BJP worker said.
Rebel Campaign Gains Ground
Adding to the party’s woes, the very leaders who engineered the withdrawal are now reportedly campaigning for a BJP rebel candidate in the same panel, openly undermining the party’s official line.
As the election approaches, the BJP finds itself battling not just opposition parties, but an internal rebellion that threatens to erode its credibility—especially among the North Indian voter base in Kalyan.
With resentment simmering on the ground, Panel No. 7 (D) could well become a flashpoint that determines the BJP’s fortunes in this crucial civic battle.
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