Maharashtra Elections: Gopal Shetty’s poll-challenging firm says lotus is still in his heart

The BJP’s attempts to persuade senior party leaders to reclaim nomination as an independent candidate Borivali assembly seat failed on Saturday, sources said India Today TV.

Two-time Mumbai North Lok Sabha MP Shetty filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Borivali assembly seat on October 29 after his name did not figure in the fourth list of candidates announced by the BJP.

Speaking to the media, Shetty said, “I am going to contest the elections. I am not against the party (BJP). I will never leave the BJP party. Few in the BJP are against her. I am fighting against these people.”

“I will never leave the BJP. After meeting Devendraji Fadnavis and Shivprakashji Gopalji, Shetty assured that he would not do anything that could harm the party,” Tawde said.

“Kamal (lotus), the election symbol of the BJP, is in my heart and brain. Even if the party eliminates me, I will not leave the party. After all, the party must maintain some discipline. I will not join any other party,” the former Lok Sabha MP said.

Earlier in the day, Shetty also met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other party leaders to clear the impasse over the Borivali seat.

After the meeting, BJP leader Vinod Tawde shared pictures of the meeting and said Shetty will not do anything that will “harm the party”.

Shetty, who won the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat by margins of over four lakh in 2014 and 2019, has been disqualified from contesting the 2024 general elections. The seat was won by senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, who is now a union minister.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will be held on November 20 and the counting of votes will take place three days later.

The BJP is contesting the elections as part of the Mahayuti alliance, whose key partners are the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar).