Day after she was named Lok Sabha poll candidate, Mohan Delkar’s wife to join BJP today

Three years after Independent MP from Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Mohan Delkar, allegedly died by suicide at a Mumbai hotel, his wife Kalaben – who later went on to win the bypoll to the seat on a Shiv Sena (Udhav Thackeray faction) ticket in 2021 – was given the BJP ticket to contest from the seat.

Mohan Delkar (58), a seven-term MP from the seat, was found dead on February 22, 2021, leaving behind a note in which he blamed nine persons for abetting his suicide. Bombay High Court had later quashed a case registered against the nine persons, including Dadra and Nagar Haveli UT Administrator Praful Khoda Patel – a former BJP minister from Gujarat.

In the byelection in September 2021, Kalaben had won by a margin of 51,000 votes, defeating BJP’s Mahesh Gavit.

A senior BJP leader said Kalaben is set to join the party along with her son Abhinav Delkar on Saturday. “The event will be held at Atal Bhavan (BJP headquarter) in Silvassa on Saturday afternoon. In the presence of BJP leaders and workers, Kalaben Delkar will join the party with her son Abhinav Delkar and their supporters.”

The Delkar family, through social media, has also requested their supporters to gather at the Sayli farmhouse on Saturday, from where they would go Atal Bhavan.

Addressing the gathering on Friday, Kalaben said, “We have to work together and win the election. Our first priority is betterment and development of the UT.” She also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for having faith in her and giving her the party ticket from the seat.

Her son, Abhinav, told the crowd, “We have passed through worst times… Now, we are in direct contact with the PM and can get all pending works of the UT completed. We have to respect BJP workers and work shoulder to shoulder with them.”

Thanking his father’s supporters, Abhinav added: “I want to thank those who supported us during our worst times. You all are my family and above all, you are the workers of Mohan Delkar. My father’s top priority was to make the organisation stronger and work actively for its workers.” “He (PM) saw the popularity of Mohan Delkar and realised that it is the power of his organisation’s workforce. Saheb has put his faith in us and given a ticket to my mother…”

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Udhav Thackeray faction) MP Sanjay Raut told mediapersons in Mumbai that the party will put up a candidate from the seat.

“Shiv Seva will put up its own candidate… When the Delkar family was facing problems, at that time Shiv Sena had supported their family. They have forgotten everything we did for them. Their family has no iman or nishta.”