Kalyan: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena‘s (MNS) Dombivli city president Manoj Gharat, who had withdrawn his nomination on the last day of withdrawals, paving the way for BJP candidate Mahesh Patil to be elected unopposed, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday. Gharat was inducted into the BJP in the presence of state BJP president Ravindra Chavan, a move that has once again stirred political debate in the Kalyan-Dombivli region during the civic election season.Gharat, a former corporator, was contesting the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections on an MNS ticket. However, his sudden decision to pull out of the race at the eleventh hour resulted in Mahesh Patil’s unopposed victory, attracting widespread attention and criticism. At time of Gharat’s withdrawal from candidature, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut had alleged that Gharat had accepted ₹5 crore to withdraw his nomination in favour of the BJP candidate. Gharat did not issue any clarification at the time, but the allegation triggered a political storm across Maharashtra.
The episode was part of a larger pattern seen in the KDMC elections. As many as 20 candidates were elected unopposed, of whom 18 secured victory after rival candidates withdrew their nominations, mainly from the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT). Gharat was among the most prominent leaders whose withdrawal contributed to these unopposed wins, raising questions about opposition unity and internal dissent.With Gharat’s formal entry into the BJP, the controversy surrounding his nomination withdrawal has resurfaced. While the BJP has strengthened its organisational base in Dombivli ahead of the polls, the MNS has suffered a significant setback, losing a key city-level leader at a crucial juncture of the KDMC election battle.
