Navi Mumbai: Sandeep Naik, a two-time MLA from Airoli and former Navi Mumbai BJP chief, has rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party after spending over a year with the Nationalist Congress Party (SP). Naik had left BJP in Oct last year after being denied a ticket to contest the assembly election from Belapur. He joined NCP-SP and contested from Belapur, but narrowly lost to BJP’s Manda Mhatre by just 377 votes. Since then, Naik had maintained a low profile and was reportedly considering his political options. Despite being offered a significant role by NCP SP state president Shashikant Shinde to lead the party in the upcoming Navi Mumbai civic elections, Naik declined to accept the position and instead decided to return to BJP.Naik’s return was formalised in Mumbai in the presence of state BJP president Ravindra Chavan after a meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Political observers believe his reentry will strengthen BJP’s position in Navi Mumbai, especially as forest minister Ganesh Naik prepares for the civic polls. Sandeep Naik enjoys considerable support in the Belapur constituency, with over 30 former corporators backing him. His move is expected to significantly influence the local political landscape and the outcome of the upcoming elections.
