Maharashtra elections: Gopal Shetty determined in contesting polls, says lotus is still in his heart

The BJP’s attempts to convince senior party leaders to take back his nomination as an independent candidate from the high-profile Borivali Assembly seat failed on Saturday, sources said India Today TV.

Two-time Mumbai North Lok Sabha MP Shetty filed his nomination as an independent candidate from the Borivali Assembly seat on October 29 after his name did not figure in the fourth list of candidates announced by the BJP.

Speaking to the media, Shetty said, “I am going to contest elections. I am not against the party (BJP). I will never leave the BJP party. There are few people in the BJP who are against it. I am fighting those people “.

“I will never leave BJP. After meeting Devendraji Fadnavis and Shivprakashji, Gopalji Shetty has assured that he will not do anything that will harm the party,” Tawde said.

“Kamal (lotus), the election symbol of the BJP, is in my heart and brain. Even if the party removes me, I will not leave the party. Ultimately, the party must maintain a certain discipline. I will not join any other party,” the former Lok Sabha MP said.

Earlier in the day, Shetty also met Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other party leaders to end the Borivali deadlock.

After the meeting, BJP leader Vinod Tawde shared photos of the meeting and said Shetty would not do anything that would “harm the party”.

Shetty, who won the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and 2019 by a margin of over four lakh, was not given a ticket in the 2024 general elections. The seat was won by senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, who is now a Union minister.

The elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will be held on November 20 and counting of votes will take place three days later.

The BJP is contesting the elections as part of the Mahayuti alliance with Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) as the main alliance partners.