Mumbai: Veteran BJP leader, Prakash Mehta, who was sidelined by the party, is readying to stage a comeback. A former cabinet minister handling important portfolios of state excise and housing, was denied ticket in the last assembly election. This development had shocked the party cadres since he was a long-time member of the party. On earlier occasions, he was elected several times from the Ghatkopar constituency with decent vote margins.
Mehta was accused of sanctioning SRA project in violation of rules
Apparently, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had a hand in this. Mehta was a loyalist of Pramod Mahajan, but after the murder of the senior leader, Mehta had no godfather in the party. What led to his downsizing was a case with the Lok Ayukta, where Mehta was accused of sanctioning a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project in violation of rules. What made matters worse for him was his observation that Fadnavis, who was the then chief minister, was in the loop.
Mehta had ushered Shah into electoral politics
In the last assembly polls, big time builder and contractor Parag Shah was allotted ticket from Ghatkopar, much to the chagrin of Mehta supporters. In fact, it was Mehta who had ushered Shah into electoral politics and got him elected as a corporator from Ghatkopar.
Mehta maintained a low profile after his humiliation. However, now he has decided to assert himself. His recent birthday was celebrated in a big way in Ghatkopar with hundreds of hoardings coming up all over the constituency.
Candidacy for the 2024 assembly elections
A huge meeting was held to felicitate him and it was attended by several BJP veterans including Gopal Shetty, MP. Mehta's supporters say they will press for his candidacy for the 2024 assembly elections.
Meanwhile, Vinod Tawde, another senior leader who was also denied the party ticket in the last polls, too, appears to be in the comeback mode. He was made national secretary of the BJP some time ago. Senior party leader Amit Shah sent a tacit message to the local party leadership by calling on Tawde at his Vile Parle residence recently to condole the death of his mother.
