City BJP unit and in turn its president Raj Purohit managed to save some embarrassment as his daughter-in-law Hema Ashok Purohit withdrew her nomination papers for the BMC elections from ward number 219, Mumbadevi. However, the party leadership is still trying hard to convince Jyoti Alvani, wife of former party corporator, Parag Alvani to withdraw from the fray from ward number 80, Vile Parle East.
Hema Purohit in a statement issued on Wednesday clarified that she was withdrawing her nomination papers on her own free will and not under any pressure and would abide by the party’s decision. She has expressed her desire to work as an ordinary party worker.
Sources added that had she insisted on contesting the elections, which in a way was the desire of her in-laws, it would have left Purohit and the rest of the city unit leadership in an awkward situation with rebellion in the party president’s own home and in a way would have been seen encouraging rebellion and seeking tickets to kith and kin.
For the past couple of days, Purohit along with Kirit Somaiya had tried hard to lobby with party president Nitin Gadkari and state in-charge Venkaiah Naidu. But neither Gadkari nor Naidu relented and in turn rapped the two.
Party sources disclosed that the party is still trying hard to convince Jyoti Alvani to withdraw from the fray till the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers. However, her husband and former party corporator Parag Alvani is reported to have firmly refused to toe the party line.
Sources admitted that Jyoti had a strong chance of winning the seat albeit as an independent candidate. Meanwhile, the party has nominated two candidates – Girdhari Salunkhe and Dilip Patel from ward number 21, Narvane Sanskruti Kendra reserved for OBC candidate.