BJP bars tickets to kin of MPs, MLAs in Maharashtra civic polls; activists to get chance

'Relatives will not get tickets. We are party workers, and we will abide by the party's orders,' Rajya Sabha member Dhananjay Mahadik told reporters.

Mumbai: The BJP has decided against fielding children or spouses of its MPs, MLAs, and ministers in the upcoming municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra, marking a departure from past practices and aiming to give grassroots workers an opportunity, a leader said on Monday.

This decision was taken at party meetings held recently, including deliberations involving senior leaders, said Rajya Sabha member Dhananjay Mahadik.

"Relatives will not get tickets. We are party workers, and we will abide by the party's orders," he told reporters.

Mahadik said the BJP has begun announcing candidates for the January 15 polls to 29 municipal corporations, but the lists do not include sons or daughters of sitting legislators, parliamentarians, or ministers.

In civic wards where such relatives had earlier filed nomination papers, withdrawals have been effected in line with the party decision, he said.

In Nashik, the nomination papers of the sons of two women BJP MLAs have been withdrawn, party sources said.

The withdrawals include those related to MLAs Seema Hiray and Devayani Farande, sources said, attributing the move to the BJP leadership's directive barring tickets to close relatives of elected representatives.

Mahadik claimed his son had filed nomination papers after taking permission from seniors, but withdrew after the state-level decision was taken.

"Once the party decided at the state level that leaders' families should not get tickets, my son decided not to contest," he said.

Farande welcomed the party's decision, stating that it would ensure justice to ordinary workers. Hiray's daughter has also exited the Nashik civic poll race following the directive.

Mahadik, meanwhile, acknowledged that the ticket distribution has led to discontent among some party workers and office-bearers.

"There is anger among those who did not get tickets. We will speak to them within two days and explain the situation. While aligning the Mahayuti, injustice may have happened to some, but we will pacify them," he said and maintained that the BJP's list was final.

Sources said the decision to bar tickets to relatives was taken by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis amid concerns over growing demands from legislators seeking nominations for family members in local body polls.

In Pune alone, six elected representatives were said to have sought tickets for nine relatives, while similar demands had surfaced from Pimpri-Chinchwad and other parts of the state, taking the overall number to over 100.

The issue was discussed at BJP meetings in Pune and later echoed at a core committee meeting in Mumbai attended by Fadnavis and national general secretary (organisation) Shivprakash.

Within 48 hours of these deliberations, the leadership decided to curb what was being seen as potential dynastic politics within the party.

BJP sources further said certain cases involving extended relatives or leaders from other political backgrounds joining the party may be considered differently, depending on local political equations.

However, the party leadership has conveyed that, as a rule, immediate family members of its MPs and MLAs will not be given tickets in the forthcoming municipal elections.

The sources added that the move is intended to reinforce the BJP's organisational base and project the civic polls as an opportunity for long-serving grassroots workers rather than families of sitting legislators.

The BJP had come under fire for allotting tickets to kin of the party leaders at several places in the recently held elections to local bodies.