Last Updated:
Monday is the last day for withdrawing nominations. The state assembly elections will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23
Shetty was MLA from Borivali in 2004 and 2009. He was also corporator from the area for several years. (Photo: ANI file)
Maharashtra BJP leader Gopal Shetty on Monday withdrew his candidature days after he announced to contest as an independent. The two-time MP from Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat filed his nomination as as independent after the BJP denied him ticket from Borivali.
The party has fielded Mumbai unit general secretary Sanjay Upadhyay from the seat replacing sitting MLA Sunil Rane. This decision sparked protests by local BJP workers demanding a representative from the area.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Vinod Tawde among several other BJP leaders reached Shetty’s house earlier today.
Goyal said Shetty’s decision of not contesting the election is a sign of his loyalty towards the party.
“It is only in BJP where workers serve the party by giving their body, mind and money” – PM @NarendraModi ji. This mantra has been proved by Bhai
@iGopalShetty ji today. His decision of not contesting the election is a sign of his loyalty towards the party, his awareness towards public interest and the unity of the Mahayuti. I thank him for this,” he said.
“यह भाजपा ही है, जहां कार्यकर्ता अपना तन-मन-धन देकर पार्टी की सेवा करते हैं” – PM @NarendraModi जीइसी मंत्र को आज भाई @iGopalShetty जी ने सिद्ध किया है। उनका चुनाव ना लड़ने का निर्णय पार्टी के प्रति उनकी निष्ठा, जनहित के प्रति उनकी सजगता और महायुती की एकजुटता का परिचायक है।…
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) November 4, 2024
After withdrawing his nomination, Shetty said, “There were never any differences. There were things related to a particular issue…I think it has reached the right place. There is no need to say what happened and how it happened. But I would like to say that party is supreme, individuals are smaller…”
#WATCH | Mumbai: Gopal Shetty says, “…There were never any differences. There were things related to a particular issue…I think it has reached the right place. There is no need to say what happened and how it happened. But I would like to say that party is supreme,… https://t.co/ErC8Vmm7y7 pic.twitter.com/7WpJcH8W2N— ANI (@ANI) November 4, 2024
Monday is the last day for withdrawing nominations. The state assembly elections will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.
भाजपचे ज्येष्ठ नेते गोपाळ शेट्टीजी यांनी पक्षहिताचा निर्णय घेत एक सच्चा कार्यकर्ता कसा असतो, याचे उत्तम उदाहरण सर्वांपुढे ठेवले आहे. पक्षहित कायम त्यांनी सर्वोच्च ठेवले आणि त्याच्याशी कधीच तडजोड केली नाही.हा निर्णय घेतल्याबद्दल मी त्यांचा अत्यंत आभारी आहे. pic.twitter.com/xjZh7V6Zzb— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) November 4, 2024
Shetty, a veteran of the Mumbai north region, had earlier said that that a local should get the BJP ticket from Borivali.
Shetty, who won the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat by margins of more than four lakh in 2014 and 2019, was denied a ticket in the 2024 general elections. The seat was won by senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, who is now Union minister.
Shetty was MLA from Borivali in 2004 and 2009. He was also corporator from the area for several years.
