Sena leader gets nomination papers in crematorium, beats deadline
What's the story
In an unusual turn of events, a Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) leader was handed his election ticket at a crematorium. The incident took place in Nagpur, Maharashtra, where Yogesh Gonnade was preparing for the municipal corporation elections. The leaders reached the cremation ground as Gonnade was performing his mother's last rites and handed him the AB form just minutes before the 3:00pm deadline for filing nominations.
Emotional turmoil
Gonnade's emotional response to unexpected nomination
Gonnade, who is contesting from Ward No. 5 of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. He said he had almost given up hope of contesting after his mother's death. "The grief of my mother's death and the sudden acceptance of my candidacy made me emotional," he said. His daughter Kritika has also been fielded by Shiv Sena from Ward No. 8.
Election unrest
Maharashtra civic polls witness nomination chaos
The nomination process for the January 15 elections across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra ended on Tuesday amid widespread unrest. In Nashik, disgruntled BJP aspirants reportedly chased vehicles carrying AB forms, which are given to official candidates of a party. Ticket seekers also chased a convoy belonging to city BJP president Sunil Kedar. According to The Economic Times, a confrontation erupted between BJP office-bearer Kailas Ahire and MLA Seema Hiray over alleged ticket cuts.
Ticket disputes
BJP's controversial candidate selection sparks protests
The BJP's decision to field Riddhish Nimse, son of former corporator Uddhav Nimse, who was jailed in a murder case, further fueled controversy. Senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan admitted that the party had to keep its word to new workers despite more aspirants than available seats. In Nagpur, BJP workers protested outside Union minister Nitin Gadkari's residence after being denied tickets. Some threatened self-immolation over perceived favoritism toward members who joined the party some time ago over long-serving ones.
Protest actions
Shiv Sena (UBT) aspirants protest outside Thackeray's residence
In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) aspirants protested outside party president Uddhav Thackeray's residence after being denied candidature, with sloganeering reported from areas such as Mankhurd and Dharavi. In Dahisar, supporters waved black flags against MLA Prakash Surve over seat allotment to the BJP. Local workers alleged they were kept in the dark about the decision. In Chembur's ward No. 155, independent nominations were filed by BJP aspirants after a former corporator joined the party just days before the filing deadlines.
Political unrest
Internal strife and protests across political parties
The NCP also witnessed internal strife in Jalgaon as city president Abhishek Patil resigned over seat allocation differences. In Nashik, Congress activists protested against what they called "outsiders" getting candidature over long-time party members. In Thane, prominent families and youth leaders were reportedly denied tickets by Shiv Sena leadership. Disgruntled members filed nominations independently or distanced themselves from the party amid dissatisfaction with alliance arrangements.