Jalgaon: Against the backdrop of the upcoming municipal corporation elections, the large-scale influx of leaders from other parties into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has triggered resentment among the party’s loyalists in Jalgaon. Fearing that they may be sidelined during ticket distribution, long-time party workers are now expecting “justice” from the party’s election in-charge, MLA Suresh Damu Bhole (Rajumama), particularly with regard to the allocation of tickets.
The BJP is currently in a strong position in both Jalgaon district and Jalgaon city. In the 2017 municipal corporation elections, the party registered a landslide victory by winning 57 of the 75 seats. With the BJP once again preparing to secure a large number of seats in the forthcoming elections, aspirants from various political backgrounds are giving the party their first preference for tickets.
However, this surge of new entrants has not gone down well with loyal party workers. Despite internal opposition, Minister Girish Mahajan inducted several leaders from rival parties into the BJP, leading to simmering discontent within the organisation. During the recent Assembly elections, former mayor Jayshree Mahajan had contested against the BJP-backed Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) candidate and suffered a crushing defeat. She later joined the BJP through Girish Mahajan. Similarly, former deputy mayor Sunil Mahajan, against whom a case related to pipe theft had been registered, also joined the party. The induction of these and several other leaders has further fuelled dissatisfaction among BJP loyalists.
Party workers fear that if tickets for the municipal corporation elections are allotted to recent entrants, long-serving loyalists will be sidelined. This has led to murmurs within the party, with questions being raised about whether loyal workers are merely expected to “lay the carpets” during election time.
The appointment of MLA Rajumama Bhole as the election in-charge has, however, brought some relief to party loyalists. Bhole has consistently maintained that long-time workers should be treated fairly and receive due justice. In the past, he had openly stated that leaders who contested elections against the party should not be admitted into the BJP. Despite his opposition, several such leaders were inducted.
Now, amid concerns that these newly inducted leaders may be given tickets in the upcoming municipal elections, loyal party workers have conveyed their expectations to election in-charge Rajumama Bhole, hoping for a fair and just ticket distribution process.
