Upset over ticket distribution, BJP office bearers revolt in Nagpur, Sambhajinagar

BJP office bearers revolted in its Nagpur stronghold on Wednesday, with 42 of them resigning after the party directly distributed AB forms without announcing the list of candidates. Some others have filed nomination papers to contest as independents.

Former BJP Nagpur mayor Archana Dehankar’s husband Vinayak Dehankar has resigned from the party. Both the husband and wife had sought tickets to contest the municipal corporation elections scheduled to be held on January 15, 2026, but the BJP denied them tickets. Also, 42 BJP office bearers resigned from Ward 14 after former corporator Sunil Agarwal was not given a nomination.

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BJP’s Ward 16 office bearer Gajanan Nishitkar also resigned from the party after an outside candidate was given a party ticket while former BJP corporator Harish Dikondwar from Ward 27 and Golu Borkar from Ward 33 filed their nomination papers as independents.

Speaking to media persons in Buldhana, Congress Maharashtra state president Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “There is massive confusion within the BJP over distribution of tickets for the municipal corporation elections, and the same picture will be seen in the forthcoming assembly elections as well. By pushing aside the original BJP as well as RSS workers and handing over the party to outsiders, control of the BJP will soon shift from the RSS headquarters in Nagpur’s Reshimbagh area to Adani and Ambani.”

Meanwhile, in a similar development, BJP workers in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, upset about ticket distribution, rebelled against the party. Two women BJP candidates went on a hunger strike to protest against ticket distribution while another candidate attempted self-immolation by pouring petrol on his body.

For the past few days, BJP workers have been expressing anger and dissatisfaction over “outsiders” being preferred and “parachuted” at the cost of BJP loyalists.

BJP candidate from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Prashant Bhadane Patil protested loudly in front of Minister Atul Save’s office on Wednesday in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Many other workers also expressed displeasure against minister him and BJP MP Bhagwat Karad for not getting tickets.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, angry BJP workers attacked cars of party MP Bhagwat Karad and Atul Save after they alleged that the BJP leaders did not even bother to ask them why they were angry.

Later, the police safely diverted the vehicles of the minister and the BJP MP to bring the situation under control. The denial of ticket to BJP candidate Prashant Bhadane from Ward 2 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar sparked outrage among his supporters and prompted them to stage a huge protest at the BJP campaign office.

However, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar District BJP President Kishore Shitole told media persons that strict action would be taken against those who violate discipline. “Such behaviour undermines party discipline. Action will definitely be taken against them,” he added.