BJP fields speaker Narwekar’s relatives for BMC polls after anti-dynasty stance

In a move that has stirred fresh political murmurs, the BJP on Tuesday appeared to undercut its oft-repeated opposition to dynastic politics by fielding three close relatives of Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

The decision has raised eyebrows, coming as it does against the backdrop of the party’s stated policy of discouraging the nomination of relatives of sitting MLAs and MPs in civic polls. Yet, Narwekar was quick to defend the move, framing it not as an act of favour but as a recognition of grassroots performance.

The BJP has nominated Narwekar’s brother and former corporator Makarand Narwekar, his sister-in-law Harshita Narwekar, and his cousin Gauravi Shivalkar-Narwekar to contest key wards in Mumbai’s civic body elections.

Addressing reporters, the speaker dismissed allegations of contradiction, asserting that the candidates’ track records spoke for themselves. “There is no one to contest against Makarand or Harshita because of their good work in their respective wards,” he said, adding confidently that the Opposition stood little chance of dislodging them. “The party will retain the seats for sure.”

Party sources indicated that the three candidates were likely to file their nomination papers later in the day, accompanied by the Speaker himself — a show of solidarity that further underscored the significance of their candidature.

The controversy unfolds as Maharashtra gears up for elections to 29 municipal corporations, including the high-stakes BMC polls scheduled for 15 January, with counting to follow the next day. Tuesday marked the final deadline for filing nominations, while candidates have time until 2 January to withdraw.

As campaigning gathers momentum, the BJP’s decision has injected a fresh dose of irony into the civic poll narrative, blurring the line between principle and political pragmatism.

With IANS inputs