All phones, WhatsApp groups under watch, says BJP minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule ahead of Maharashtra local body polls

The minister added that discontent over ticket distribution should not translate into public outbursts or indiscipline. “Sometimes workers or office-bearers who are upset about not getting a ticket create a scene or express anger. But now, if anyone rebels, the doors of leadership will be closed for them,” Bawankule said.

Urging restraint and unity, Bawankule told party members that “a single mistake or dissenting statement could harm both the city and the BJP’s prospects.” “Your one wrong decision can ruin Bhandara’s future and damage the party. Don’t let a wrong click or careless message harm the development work being done under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

With Maharashtra set to witness elections for local body polls across the state, political parties are bracing for possible defections from disgruntled workers who may miss out on ticket allotment.

The state is gearing up for long-delayed elections to its local self-government bodies, including municipal corporations, municipal councils, zilla parishads as well as panchayat samitis. The elections were stalled for years, largely due to unresolved issues around reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in wards and delimitation of electoral boundaries.