Clash erupts between BJP and Shiv Sena workers in Kalyan ahead of polls

Kalyan: Nearly three months after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were upset with Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde, Shiv Sena MP from Kalyan, over a molestation case filed against BJP’s Nandu Joshi, Thursday witnessed yet another clash and bickering between the two parties.

This time, the row is likely to snowball into a major controversy as BJP’s Kalyan unit leaders alleged that on Wednesday, their workers were beaten up by Shiv Sena workers when they were painting walls with the lotus symbol as part of the party’s ongoing national campaign for the Lok Sabha polls eight months away.

The clash further led to an argument between former Shiv Sena Mahesh Gaikwad and BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad on WhatsApp on Thursday in which the latter challenged the former for a confrontation in Kalyan East. The BJP workers led by Gaikwad arrived at the location and were waiting for Sena workers for a possible confrontation. However, the Kolsewadi police diffused the tensions by whisking away Mahesh Gaikwad to the police station and brought the situation under control. An offence was registered regarding Wednesday’s clash against four Shiv Sena workers at Kolsewadi police station.

BJP District President Narendra Suryavanshi said, “Our party has taken up a national programme of outreach in every ward and every booth. Our workers were painting the Lotus symbol in the ward of BJP former city president Sanjay More’s ward as part of the national programme when Shiv Sena’s Shinde group workers arrived there. They had an argument and beat up our workers. No one has the right to take the law in their hands. So we have lodged a complaint.”

Suryavanshi tried to play down the incident saying the BJP was in an ideological alliance with the Shiv Sena for the last 25 years. “We have informed our party superiors about the incident, and they will do what is necessary. Sometimes workers are aggressive and they don’t understand that their mistakes can lead to misunderstandings and embarrass their leadership. We have had an ideological alliance with the Shiv Sena for the last 25 years. So incidents like these don’t affect it. As BJP workers, we are committed to making Narendra Modiji Prime Minister for one more term and we will continue to do our work,”

However, BJP MLA from Thane Sanjay Kelkar, who is in-charge of Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, condemned the incident and asked the Shiv Sena leadership to control its workers. “I am aware of whats happening in Kalyan and it is serious. Their leadership should control them. If the rubber band of patience is stretched too much, it can snap and then it will not be possible to mend,” Kelkar told HT.

Asked if the BJP would contest the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat, Kelkar said, “That’s a different thing and will be decided by the party leadership during seat sharing discussions. Our objective is to take guardianship of the constituency and whoever contests the seat, it will be towards strengthening Modiji.”

In June, the BJP leaders in Kalyan were upset when a molestation case was being registered against Dombivli leader Nandu Joshi allegedly at the behest of Kalyan sitting MP Dr Shrikant Shinde. The bickering had snowballed into major differences between Shiv Sena and BJP and Shinde had accused the Kalyan leaders of indulging in “selfish politics” and had offered to resign. The differences had led to the ad headlined “Modi for India, Shinde for Maharashtra” showing PM Narendra Modi and Eknath Shinde. Both the parties had then tried to calm down their local party units and resolved to work together for 2024.