Gaikwad Shoots Gaikwad: Local Neta Rivalry Highlights Kalyan's Sena-BJP Feud

A BJP MLA firing at a Shiv Sena leader brings new focus to the feud between the allies in Kalyan-Dombivali.

"Eknath Shinde betrayed Uddhav Thackeray and he is going to betray the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) too. He betrayed me too. Eknath Shinde owes me crores of rupees. If he believes in God, he should reveal how much money he has bagged in corruption," said Kalyan East MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, moments before he was arrested for allegedly firing six rounds at Shiv Sena leader Mahesh Gaikwad inside a police station in Thane's Ulhasnagar.

On the evening of 2 February, three-time MLA Ganpat Gaikwad allegedly shot at Mahesh Gaikwad inside the Hill Line police station. As purported CCTV visuals of the incident shook the state and the nation, a political slugfest followed.

Speaking to the media, Ganpat Gaikwad said: "I bought a piece of land 10 years ago but Mahesh Gaikwad has been trying to encroach upon it. When we were at the police station, his men were beating my son. I fired in self defence and I have no regrets."

Along with Mahesh Gaikwad, his aide Rahul Patil also suffered injuries.

But the Gaikwad vs Gaikwad feud goes beyond the alleged land dispute, pointing to a long-standing war for credit in the Kalyan West constituency and an alleged 'threat' to Ganpat Gaikwad's candidature in the upcoming Assembly elections that is scheduled to be held in Maharashtra later this year.

The incident of 2 February also brings new focus to the long-brewing unrest between the BJP and the Shiv Sena in the Kalyan-Dombivali region.

Credit War, From Manhole Lid to Development Projects

Since nearly two years before the 2 February incident, the two leaders have been constantly involved in a 'credit war' in the Kalyan East constituency. A three-time MLA from the seat, Ganpat Gaikwad has enjoyed undisputed command ever since it was carved out in 2008.

While he won as an independent candidate in 2009 and 2014, he fought on a BJP ticket in 2019. He defeated a joint Shiv Sena-BJP candidate (a united Sena at the time) in 2009, and he won in 2014 against both the Sena and BJP candidates in 2014 when the two parties contested separately.

His winnability ensured his candidature as a joint candidate for both parties in 2019.

A bitter exchange between the two leaders continued for weeks in September last year after Gaikwad alleged that CM Eknath Shinde and his son Shrikant Shinde, two-time Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan, have actively been working to "weaken the BJP in Thane and the state."

Speaking to the media, Ganpat Gaikwad backed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) MLA Pramod Patil's claims and said, "No leader can make comments against another leader without the backing of its senior leaders," while adding that the BJP cadre in Kalyan was being "harassed" by the Sena cadre.

A week later, Ganpat Gaikwad launched another salvo at the Shiv Sena and said that he has a 'rocket to counter the bow and arrow (the party symbol of the Shiv Sena).'

"I will not name those who are trying to deprive Kalyan's people of their rights. However, if you keep harassing, I will have to name people. I will have to reveal who is blocking the files to clear funds for my constituency. I had approved development works worth Rs 129 crore for Kalyan East but the credit is being to others," Ganpat had alleged at an event.

Hours later, Mahesh Gaikwad claimed that Ganpat Gaikwad was attempting to hide that fact that he has not worked for the constituency in 15 years and that he needed "not just a narco test but a psych evaluation."

The intensity of rivalry between the two local leaders can be gauged from the fact that both were engaged in a war of words last year as well, when trying to take credit for fixing a broken lid of a manhole on a road near Mahesh Gaikwad's office.

Several times in the past, Ganpat Gaikwad's supporters have accused CM Shinde and Shrikant Shinde of 'backing' Mahesh Gaikwad, sources said.

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Ganpat Gaikwad's Candidature 'Threatened' by Mahesh?

Reports suggested that Mahesh Gaikwad is believed to have the backing of Shrikant Shinde to get a ticket from Kalyan East for the Assembly elections scheduled later this year, which was also one of the reasons behind the rivalry with Ganpat Gaikwad.

A former corporator and now the Kalyan city chief for the Shiv Sena, Mahesh is believed to have got several civic and developmental projects cleared for the constituency.

Narendra Pawar, a BJP leader from Kalyan and former MLA from the Kalyan West constituency, has downplayed these claims.

Speaking to The Quint, Pawar said, "There are claims that he (Mahesh Gaikwad) would get a ticket from Kalyan East and I would be given ticket from Kalyan West. Hence, he (Ganpat Gaikwad) was upset. But if any such decision had been made, I would have been aware of it. I am not."

Long-Standing BJP-Sena Conflict Back in Focus

The conflict between Ganpat Gaikwad and Mahesh Gaikwad is said to be just one aspect of the ongoing friction between the two 'natural allies' in Kalyan.

In June 2023, the Kalyan-Dombivali BJP unit passed a resolution that it would not support Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Shrikant Shinde in the Lok Sabha elections.

The resolution was passed in the presence of state Cabinet Minister Ravindra Chavan, who also reportedly said that it was the hardwork of the local BJP cadre that had ensured Shrikant Shinde's victory twice.

The decision by the BJP was triggered after a policeman's wife accused a local party leader of molestation, based on which a case was registered. Local BJP leaders claimed that the allegation was a conspiracy by local Sena leaders to settle political scores.

Following the development, Shrikant Shinde offered to resign as MP and said, "I have supported workers of both parties on every issue. While work is going well, some people in the alliance should not try to sow differences within the alliance. We should ensure that we work together, and Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister again in 2024."

Refusing to comment on specific issues to do with Shrikant Shinde and the Shiv Sena, Pawar said that it was a matter of competition between the two parties.

"There will always be competition in politics. There is competition between two leaders of the same party as well. Here we have two parties from an alliance. There is bound to be some level of competition," Pawar said.

"The issues with Shrikant Shinde were resolved last year. Senior leaders sat down with the local party units and there haven't been many conflicts after that," Pawar claimed.

The exchange between Ganpat Gaikwad and Shrikant Shinde in December 2023, however, paints a different picture. Ganpat Gaikwad targeted Shrikant Shinde and said: "In the upcoming elections, whichever candidate from the BJP contests elections will win."

In his retort, Shirkant Shinde said that the decisions of who will contest from which constituency are best left to senior leaders.

"There are some who know that they will not get publicity if they don't say anything. Such statements should be heard only for entertainment purposes," Shirtkant Shinde said.

While the incident of 2 February shook the nation, it puts a big dent in the ruling alliance's show of unity.

"After whatever happened that day, senior party leaders need to bring the two sides to a consensus. The elections are approaching. There should not be any hurdles in the alliance's development agenda," Pawar said.

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