Two time former BJP MP Gopal Shetty, who rebelled against the party and decided to contest assembly polls as independent candidate on Friday met Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and said that he will withdraw his candidature, hinted BJP leader Vinod Tawde.
After the meeting of Shetty with Fadnavis, Tawde, who is BJP’s national general secretary took to X and tweeted the picture of Fadnavis along with Shetty, him and others. He said, “I will never leave BJP, this assurance was given by Shetty to Fadnavis and Shivprakashji. He also assured that he will not do anything that will harm the party.”
Shetty, who won as BJP candidate from North Mumbai in 2014 and 2019 had to vacate his seat for Piyush Goyal in North Mumbai. However, he was miffed with the party after the BJP denied him a ticket from Borivalli assembly seat in Mumbai.
He filed his nomination papers as independent candidate. The BJP has fielded Sanjay Updadhyay from the assembly seat in this assembly election. The Mahayuti, which consists of BJP, Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena and NCP-AP is facing rebellion candidates on many seats across the state.
Fadnavis and many senior leaders of the Mahayuti are working to ensure that rebel candidates withdraw their nomination in the crucial November 20 assembly polls for the 288 seats. Counting of votes will take place on November 23.