"Party Is Supreme": BJP's Gopal Shetty Withdraws Independent Candidacy

After withdrawing his candidature as independent from the Maharashtra's Boriwali Assembly seat, BJP leader Gopal Shetty said on Monday that the interest of the party is above that of individual leaders.

Mr Shetty said that there were never any substantial differences with his party leadership.

"There were never any differences. There were things related to a particular issue. I think it has reached the right place," Mr Shetty told reporters here.

"There is no need to say what happened and how it happened. But I would like to say that party is supreme, individuals are smaller," he added.

Gopal Shetty, two-time MP from Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat, had rebelled against the BJP after it gave ticket to Sanjay Upadhyay to contest from the seat.

Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had said that the rebels are also their people and exuded confidence that the party will be successful in making everyone understand.

"They (rebels) are also our own people, it is our duty to make them understand, sometimes there is a lot of anger but they have formed their mindset in the larger interest of the party, I am confident that we will be successful in making everyone understand," Mr Fadnavis said on November 2.

The BJP has fielded Sanjay Upadhyay from Boriwali, replacing sitting MLA Sunil Rane.

Monday is the last day for withdrawing nominations. The state assembly elections will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.

According to the BJP leaders, earlier Gopalji Shetty had met Devendra Fadnavis and others leaders and assured them that he would not do anything that would harm the party

Mr Shetty won the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and 2019 but was denied a ticket in the 2024 general elections. The seat was won by senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal, who is now Union minister.

Mr Shetty also represented Borivali Assembly seat in 2004 and 2009. He was also corporator from the area for several years.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)