Maharashtra: Voters reject BJP’s six-family slate in Loha municipal elections

Voters in Loha town of Maharashtra’s Nanded district have decisively rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision to field six members of the same family in the municipal council elections, delivering a setback to the party that frequently targets rivals over dynastic politics.

The controversy centred on the BJP’s nominations in the Loha Municipal Council, where Gajanan Suryawanshi was projected as the party’s mayoral candidate, while his wife, brother, sister-in-law, brother-in-law and a close relative were fielded across different wards. The move drew sharp attention in political circles, particularly because the BJP has consistently accused other political parties of promoting family rule.

Election results showed that all six BJP candidates from the Suryawanshi family were defeated, a verdict widely interpreted as a rejection of nepotism by the electorate. The mayor’s post was won by the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Pawar, strengthening the party’s presence in the civic body.

Loha Nagar Parishad, which has 10 wards and 20 corporator seats, witnessed a triangular contest involving the BJP, the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Ajit Pawar, and the Congress. The region is considered politically significant, with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction enjoying influence through local MLA Pratap Patil Chikhlikar.

Although the BJP contested all seats, its decision to concentrate tickets within a single family overshadowed its campaign. Candidates from multiple parties filed nominations at the last moment, but it was the BJP’s slate that became the main talking point of the election.

The outcome is also being seen as an embarrassment for senior BJP leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, who has been leading the party’s efforts in the Nanded local body polls since joining the BJP. While his induction was expected to boost the party’s prospects in the district, the Loha result has instead fuelled criticism that the BJP practised the very dynastic politics it publicly condemns.

With the clean sweep against the family candidates, the Loha municipal verdict has sent a clear political message, reinforcing voter sensitivity to perceptions of nepotism in local governance.