A dramatic sequence of political developments unfolded in Nashik on Thursday as the planned induction of leaders from Shiv Sena (UBT), the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), and the Congress into the BJP sparked strong protests by local workers of the ruling party, laid bare internal differences, and led to the expulsion of two senior Sena (UBT) leaders.
Ahead of the Nashik Municipal Corporation elections, former MNS MLA Nitin Bhosale, former Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor Vinayak Pande, Sena (UBT) leader Yatin Wagh, senior Congress leader Shahu Khaire, and former corporator Sanjay Chavan were expected to formally join the BJP.
Also joining them was MNS state general secretary Dinkar Patil, who arrived at the BJP office along with his son and wife Lata Patil, a former corporator.
The move immediately met with resistance from within the BJP.
As news of the proposed entry spread, BJP workers gathered outside the party office and shouted slogans, demanding that loyal workers who had built the party on the ground should not be sidelined for leaders switching sides just before elections. The protest created confusion and delayed the formal induction for several hours.
Nashik Central BJP MLA and election in-charge Devyani Pharande opposed the entry of Pande, Wagh, and Khaire, saying she had not been consulted before the decision was made. Her supporters and local party workers gathered outside the BJP office and shouted slogans.
In a Facebook post, Pharande said she “clearly opposed” the induction of leaders in Ward No. 13 and stood firmly with Hindutva activists who had been fighting on the ground for years.
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Pharande said that as the election in-charge, she had not been informed about the decision and warned that such moves could hurt the morale of committed party workers. The protest created confusion throughout the day, and it remained unclear for several hours whether the induction would take place.
Senior BJP leader and minister Girish Mahajan, who has been spearheading efforts to strengthen the party in Nashik, initially defended the inductions. Addressing party workers earlier in the day, Mahajan said leaders were joining the BJP because they believed in its ideology and claimed the party would win more than 100 of the 122 seats in the Nashik Municipal Corporation.
Surprise in both BJP and Sena (UBT)
The timing of Vinayak Pande’s move added to the controversy. Just a day earlier, he had been seen celebrating the announcement of an alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS, distributing sweets along with party workers.
His decision to join the BJP the very next day surprised many and raised questions within both parties, and invited sharp criticism.
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Amid the unfolding drama, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut announced that Vinayak Pande and Yatin Wagh had been expelled from the party. In a post on X, Raut said the action was taken on the orders of Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for anti-party activities.
Speaking to the media before joining the BJP, Pande said his decision was driven by dissatisfaction over ticket distribution within the Sena (UBT). He said his son’s ticket had been cut in the previous election and that despite seeking his son’s candidature again, the party had instead suggested fielding his daughter-in-law. “We went ahead and prepared my daughter-in-law for the election, but there was no clarity from the leadership,” Pande said.
Pande added that he had spoken to Sanjay Raut over the phone but received no clear assurance regarding candidature. “If the younger generation is not to be given opportunities now, then when?” he asked, insisting he held no personal grudge against anyone and was joining the BJP of his own will.
Dinkar Patil, the MNS state general secretary, said he was joining the BJP for the development of his ward. He had earlier been with the BJP but quit after being denied an Assembly ticket and later joined the MNS, on whose ticket he contested elections. He was defeated by BJP leader Seema Hire.
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On Thursday, he returned to the BJP amid the political churn.
As protests continued outside the party office, Mahajan stepped in to hold discussions with protesting workers and local leaders. After his intervention, the resistance was withdrawn, and Vinayak Pande, Yatin Wagh, Shahu Khaire, and Dinkar Patil were inducted into the BJP in the minister’s presence, bringing an end to a day-long standoff.
Within the BJP, the episode exposed fault lines between leaders managing election strategy and grassroots workers wary of late entrants displacing loyal cadres. Pharande reiterated that she stood with workers who had built the party over the years and cautioned against ignoring their sentiments.
Pande and Wagh later said they were unaware of the opposition within the BJP and claimed that senior leaders of the party had invited them. They said they wished to work under the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the development of Nashik.
