BJP Issues Stern Warning to Rebel Mayoral Candidates in Dhanbad Civic Polls
In a decisive move ahead of the urban local body elections scheduled for February 23, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a stern warning to its party members who have filed nominations for the mayoral post in Dhanbad. The party has explicitly stated that failure to withdraw their candidacy papers will result in strict organizational disciplinary action.
Official Directive from State Leadership
Speaking to the media, BJP state president Aditya Sahu emphasized that apart from the officially BJP-supported candidate, all other individuals associated with the party who have submitted nominations for the mayoral position must retract their papers. "If they do not withdraw, it will be treated as indiscipline and the party will take appropriate action," he declared, underscoring the party's zero-tolerance policy towards internal dissent during the election process.
However, Sahu clarified that this stringent directive would not apply at the ward level, where numerous BJP workers are contesting elections independently. "Many party workers are contesting from different wards, and this instruction will not be applicable to them," he added, highlighting a strategic distinction between mayoral and ward-level contests.
Rebel Candidates and Party Dynamics
In Dhanbad, several BJP-linked leaders had filed nominations for the mayoral post, including:
- Chandrashekhar Agarwal
- Sanjeev Singh
- Sanjeev Agarwal
- Mukesh Pandey
- Bhirgunath Bhagat
- Shantanu Chandra
The BJP has officially extended its support to Sanjeev Agarwal, who filed his nomination in the presence of senior leaders, including Dhanbad MP Dulu Mahato, Dhanbad MLA Raj Sinha, and state president Aditya Sahu. This endorsement signals the party's unified backing for a single candidate to avoid vote-splitting and ensure electoral success.
Meanwhile, the political landscape has seen shifts, with Chandrashekhar Agarwal quitting the BJP to join the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), and Shantanu Chandra resigning from the party's primary membership, reflecting internal tensions and realignments.
Defiance and Campaign Intensification
Despite the party's warning, some candidates have chosen to defy the directive. BJP leader Bhirgunath Bhagat defended his decision to contest, stating that he had also fought elections in the last poll and arguing that the current civic polls were not being held on a party basis. "The party should not interfere. Every worker should be free to contest," he asserted, challenging the party's stance on candidate selection.
Similarly, Mukesh Pandey and other candidates have announced that they will not withdraw their nominations and have instead intensified their campaign efforts. This rebellion underscores the challenges the BJP faces in maintaining discipline and cohesion within its ranks during the high-stakes urban local body elections.
The situation in Dhanbad highlights the complex dynamics of intra-party politics, where individual ambitions clash with organizational discipline, potentially impacting the BJP's electoral strategy and outcomes in the upcoming polls.
