Maharashtra civic polls: BJP faces internal rifts, allegations as parties gear up for Jan 15

With the January 15 civic elections in Maharashtra just around the corner, political manoeuvring and controversies are intensifying across the state.

In Nagpur, a section of BJP workers locked candidate Kisan Gawande inside his house on Friday to prevent him from withdrawing his nomination for ward 13 (D). Gawande had been asked by the party to step down, a move that angered local supporters from the Hazaripahad area who wanted him to contest. BJP MLC Parinay Fuke and local leaders intervened to pacify the workers, after which Gawande complied and withdrew his nomination. Elections to 29 municipal corporations, including Nagpur, will be held on January 15, with votes counted the following day.

Meanwhile, in Nanded, a former corporator accused ex-Maharashtra chief minister and BJP leader Ashok Chavan of offering party tickets in exchange for money . Bhanusing Rawat alleged that Chavan accepted ₹50 lakh to grant tickets to wealthy candidates, sidelining loyal party workers. Rejecting the allegations, Chavan said he had never asked for money in his 50-year-long career in social and political work. The Nanded civic body elections are also scheduled for January 15.

In Jalna, ahead of the elections, the BJP has fielded four Muslim candidates , signalling a strategic outreach to the community following the entry of former Congress MLA Kailash Gorantyal into the party. Mahayuti allies, Shiv Sena and NCP , are also reaching out to Muslim voters, with the Shiv Sena nominating seven candidates and the NCP 17 from the community. The opposition Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP), is contesting together, while AIMIM has announced 17 candidates targeting Muslim-dominated wards. Muslim voters account for nearly 20–25 per cent of the electorate in Jalna and are seen as decisive in several wards.

The upcoming civic polls in Maharashtra have thus become a mix of intra-party conflicts, allegations of malpractice, and calculated outreach to key voter groups, reflecting the high-stakes political environment ahead of January 15.