A significant controversy over political nepotism has erupted in Mumbai, casting a shadow over the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. With parties in a race against time to finalize their candidates, a clear pattern of 'family first' has emerged, where former corporators and sitting MLAs are aggressively pushing to secure tickets for their wives, children, and other relatives. This trend is primarily on seats reserved for women, leaving dedicated and long-waiting party workers feeling sidelined and frustrated.
Internal Dissent Within BJP Over Ticket Demands
The issue came to a head during a BJP coordination committee meeting held on Sunday, where nepotism became a major flashpoint. BJP national joint general secretary Shivprakash reportedly took a firm stand, insisting that the party should not allocate tickets to the relatives of its leaders. He stated that no BJP leader should ask for a ticket for their kin.
However, BJP Mumbai unit president Ameet Satam offered a different perspective, clarifying that Shivprakash was merely reiterating the party's longstanding stance. Satam emphasized that the winnability of a candidate, ground reports, and local sentiment remain the paramount factors in selecting a nominee.
Despite this official line, specific demands have caused unease within the party ranks. These include:
- At least three MLAs from North Mumbai seeking tickets for their wives.
- A South Mumbai MLA advocating for his daughter.
- A North Mumbai MLA pushing for his son.
- An MLA from central Mumbai promoting his daughter-in-law.
Shivprakash's statement was a direct response to the concerns raised by grassroots workers about these demands.
Party Workers Voice Their Protest
The discontent among party cadres is not hidden. Last week, BJP's Borivli MLA Sanjay Upadhyay wrote a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging the leadership not to field spouses of leaders or office-bearers. He argued that with women's reservation likely in the 2029 assembly elections, responsible representatives seeking tickets for inactive family members now would send the wrong message. He stressed that long-serving female party workers deserve the opportunity to contest.
Echoing this sentiment, Mumbai BJP secretary Vivekanand Gupta wrote to Ameet Satam under the explicit heading, 'Regarding not allotting tickets to wives, daughters, sons or relatives of party office-bearers in the BMC elections.' Gupta highlighted a common grievance: "It is often seen that when such a worker finally gets a chance to contest an election in his department, that opportunity is taken away due to pressure from some leader or office-bearer." He described this practice as leading to deep disappointment and frustration among loyal workers.
A Cross-Party Phenomenon and Future Calculations
This trend is not confined to the BJP alone. During Congress's interviews for aspirants last weekend, a similar pattern was observed, with former corporators eyeing seats for their spouses and relatives. A common tactic is for ex-corporators to secure tickets for their wives when their own seats become reserved for women, allowing them to effectively manage the constituency by proxy.
Political insiders point to a larger strategic calculation behind this rush. Many politicians across party lines are actively trying to arrange tickets for female family members in anticipation of the 33% reservation for women in the state assembly elections scheduled for 2029. Securing a position in the BMC now is seen as a stepping stone to build a political base for the future.
The current tussle highlights a growing rift between the political elite and the party's grassroots workforce. As the BMC polls draw nearer, how parties balance these internal demands against the principle of rewarding merit and loyalty will be closely watched, potentially impacting both morale and electoral outcomes.
