Rift in BJP over Ghatkopar assembly candidature
Ahead of the assembly elections, the BJP is likely to see a rift within its ranks, with former MLA Prakash Mehta expecting party nomination from Ghatkopar in place of sitting MLA Parag Shah. Mehta has formed a pressure group to help him get a ticket in the forthcoming polls
Ahead of the assembly elections, the BJP is likely to see a rift within its ranks, with former MLA Prakash Mehta expecting party nomination from Ghatkopar in place of sitting MLA Parag Shah.
Mehta, former Ghatkopar East MLA and a former minister, has formed a pressure group to help him get a ticket in the forthcoming polls. The group called Prakash Mehta Mitra Mandal is expected to meet in Ghatkopar East today.
Mehta said, “My friends in the party have formed Prakash Mehta Mitra Mandal with nearly 3000 members. It is a forum for them to connect. They are meeting today. Everyone is at liberty to hold such programmes.”
He was denied a ticket in the 2019 polls and had to step down as housing minister in 2019 following a controversy in connection with a housing project. An MLA for six terms from Ghatkopar, he was a minister in the Sena-BJP government, from 1995 to 1999 and was also a minister in the Fadnavis government but was removed in 2019 after a controversy erupted after he bypassed the CM office in a case.
In 2017, Mehta had brought builder Parag Shah to contest in civic polls to defeat the then Congress leader Pravin Chheda. Shah defeated Chheda and went on to bag the aassembly ticket in 2019. He won and Mehta was sidelined.
Mehta said, “I wish I could fight the polls from this constituency. Let the party decide.”
The MVA is likely to give a ticket to Mumbai NCP (SP) chief Rakhi Jadhav in Ghatkopar East, as the party feels the three-term corporator can unite the Marathi-Dalit-Muslim votes.