Sending out a firm message that factional politics will not be tolerated within the party, the state BJP unit has imposed a stay on the fresh appointments of new presidents of its 10 mandal units in Mira-Bhayandar which were recently announced by Kishor Sharma.
An official letter imposing a stay on the appointments was issued by Vikrant Patil, who holds the position of general secretary in the state unit of the BJP. The appointments aimed at giving a fillip to the party’s outreach and activities at the grassroots level were allegedly made in contrast to protocols sans consent from state leadership, prompting the state leadership to intervene. Most of the newly appointed office bearers are said to be closely associated with former legislator- Narendra Mehta, sources said.
Internal strife continues
The BJP which single-handedly wrestled control over the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) in the 2017 polls is staring at a virtual split owing to the widening rift between former district BJP chief- Ravi Vyas and former legislator Narendra Mehta. The infighting intensified after Mehta vehemently opposed Vyas’s appointment as president of the local BJP unit in 2021. Boycotts in each other’s faction, mainly by the rebel faction in the party's official conclaves and other functions, had indicated a clear rift within the party.
BJP issues stay on fresh appointments
To stem the groupism and indiscipline, state BJP president- Chandrashekhar Bawankule had recently appointed Kishor Sharma as the chief of the party's unit in Mira Bhayandar. However, the stay on the fresh appointments has yet again demonstrated that the local unit of the party continues to remain a divided house.
While a section of local BJP leaders claimed that appointments had not been cancelled and a final decision would be taken after consultations with the state leadership, city chief of the party Kishor Sharma was unavailable for his comments on the issue. The infighting within the party cadres is all set to dent BJP’s electoral fortunes in the upcoming civic polls.
