Mumbai: Miffed over Kalyan East seat constituency falling into the BJP's lap, 26 Shiv Sena corporators and scores of party workers have resigned in protest.
They have also decided to lend their support to rebel Sena candidate Dhananjay Bodare, who is contesting as an Independent.
Bodare rebelled against his party after Ganpat Gaikwad was nominated as NDA’s candidate. With that, the seeds have been sown of a Sena (rebel)-BJP contest.
The main grouse of the corporators is that Gaikwad – a two-time MLA -- has done little for the constituency. Sena rebel Bodare happens to be an electrical engineer and has been associated with the party for the last 27 years.
Though both BJP and Shiv Sena are claiming that everything is hunky-dory in their respective parties, there are several rebel candidates from both parties in the fray.
Badore said: "I have decided to contest as an independent because in last 10 years there has been no development in our area and people are suffering; we cannot accept a BJP candidate as our MLA and hence I am contesting against him."
On the other hand, Uddhav Thackeray has issued several appeals to rebel candidates of his party, after which some have taken back their nominations.
Uddhav Thackeray had apologized in Dussehra rally to all his party workers, especially those who could not get tickets, and appealed them to support alliance candidates.
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