BJP preparing to contest Zilla Parishad polls alone in Maharashtra, says ex-MP Heena Gavit

Heena Gavit, former BJP MP from Nandurbar, said on Saturday that the party is preparing to contest the upcoming Zilla Parishad (ZP) elections in Maharashtra on its own. She also kept the door open to an alliance after the elections.

Gavit told reporters, "We are preparing to fight the ZP elections on our own. At the party level, we are planning to go it alone for now."

On the question of an alliance, she said the party would take a final decision after the election schedule is announced. In her words, "Once the elections are announced, these issues will be discussed. For now, the Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing to fight alone. Further decisions will be taken when the election schedule is announced."

Gavit's statement comes at a time when differences have surfaced between the BJP and its ally, the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, over the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections.

Voting for five Legislative Council seats was held on October 23 and the results were declared on October 28. The ruling Mahayuti alliance won only two of them. The result has turned attention back to coordination between the two allies ahead of the coming local body elections.

Despite the differences, leaders of both the BJP and the Shiv Sena say the Mahayuti alliance remains intact. They have also indicated that whatever disagreements exist between the allies will be resolved through talks.

For now, Gavit's statement indicates that the BJP is preparing for the ZP elections alone, while a view on an alliance will be taken at a later stage.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a Mahayuti constituent, on Friday accused Shiv Sena MLA Abdul Sattar of working against its candidate in the Legislative Council election from the Aurangabad graduates' constituency, leading to its defeat.

In the election held on October 23, Pratapsingh Patil, the candidate of the opposition NCP (SP), defeated Satish Chavan, the NCP's sitting MLC. The results were declared this week. The NCP, led by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which also includes the BJP and the Shiv Sena.