Rebels shown the door: Maharashtra BJP chief Bawankule

With the last date for withdrawal of nominations coming to an end, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekar Bawankule on Tuesday said the party will crack the whip on the rebels and ban them for six years. The rebellion of those who have been denied tickets has created headaches for both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state ahead of the November 20 assembly elections.

Monday was the last day for nominations to be withdrawn.

Senior leader and former MP Gopal Shetty on Monday withdrew his nomination as an independent candidate for Mumbai’s Borivali seat after he was persuaded by the BJP to withdraw from the election race.

The ruling BJP also managed to get some other rebels to withdraw their nominations.

Bawankule said some rebels have resigned while the party will remove some of them.

“Today evening we are closing the doors of the party to them and suspending them for six years. This process is ongoing and we are doing an analysis of who left (the rebels) and who all left with them. will be taken by evening,” he said.