Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation Polls: BJP, Shiv Sena Workers Clash Over Distribution Of Cash To Voters; Few Injured

New Delhi: A violent altercation broke out between supporters of the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Tuesday in Dombivli following a dispute over money distribution.

The incident, which took place just two days before the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections, resulted in injuries to Omkar Nath Natekar, the husband of BJP candidate Arya Omkar Nath Natekar. He sustained serious injuries and has been admitted to a private AIMS Hospital in Dombivli for treatment.

The BJP has formally accused the supporters of Nitin Matya Patil, a candidate from the Shinde faction, of orchestrating the assault.

In addition to Omkar Natekar, the confrontation left two other BJP workers and one Shiv Sena office-bearer with minor injuries.

Attempt to block BJP officials

BJP leaders report that the confrontation began when Omkar Natekar and a small group of supporters reached a housing complex in Tukaram Nagar for an election campaign meeting. According to BJP leaders, Shiv Sena candidate Nitin Patil and his followers intercepted them, allegedly issuing threats and attempting to block the BJP officials from entering the premises for their scheduled gathering.

The BJP has alleged that Nitin Patil and his brother Ravi Patil, along with family members and a group of supporters, physically attacked Omkar Natekar after accusing him of bribing voters. According to the BJP, Natekar denied the claims and challenged them to provide evidence, which caused the argument to turn into a violent assault that left him severely injured and bleeding.

BJP officials hold protest

In the aftermath of the attack, BJP officials held a protest outside the Dombivli police station, demanding immediate and severe legal action against those responsible. Following their complaint, the police officially registered a case of attempted murder (under Section 109 of the BNS) against Shiv Sena candidates Nitin Patil and Ravi Patil, along with several family members and supporters.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena candidate Nitin Patil has dismissed the assault allegations, claiming instead that BJP officials were present in the area to bribe voters with cash. He maintained that he and his supporters were simply acting to prevent these illegal election inducements, and that the ensuing confrontation was a direct result of their attempt to stop the malpractice.

It is noteworthy that although Shiv Sena and BJP are contesting the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation elections as allies, both parties are contesting separately in Panel No. 29. This has resulted in frequent confrontations between workers of the two parties. Just a day earlier, Shiv Sena had accused BJP office-bearers in the same panel of distributing money to voters.

Polls to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including cash-rich Mumbai, where elections are due since early 2022, will be held on January 15 and votes will be counted on January 16, the State Election Commission (SEC) announced.

State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare stated as many as 2,869 seats in these municipal corporations will be up for grabs.

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