TMT chairman polls: BJP suspends its member Ajay Joshi

BJP member in Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) Committee Ajay Joshi was today suspended for six years for cross-voting in favour of a rebel Shiv Sena nominee to get him elected as the chairman in recently held elections.
"BJP had issued a whip to the party members in the committee to vote for the official candidate of Sena-BJP combine Pappu Kadam. However, Joshi instead voted for rebel Shiv Sena nominee Shailesh Bhagat backed by the NCP-Congress alliance to get him elected as chairman of TMT," the BJP said in its communique to Joshi.
The letter was subsequently made available to media.

"This is clearly an anti-party activity and the party has a taken a serious note of the same and suspended him (Joshi) for a period six years," according to the suspension letter issued by the state unit.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Milind Patankar who had resigned from his post after being manhandled by BJP-Sena alliance functionaries for his alleged role in provoking its member Joshi to support NCP and Congress-backed Bhagat has resurfaced in the city.
Patankar was "missing" since he was roughed up on December 23.

Meanwhile, for elections to the office of Deputy Mayor, BJP nominee Mukesh Mokashi, who was allegedly at the forefront in the attack on Patankar, has filed in his nomination.

The Congress-NCP combine has stayed away from polls stating they did not support the manner in which Patankar was manhandled.
Mokashi has reportedly sought anticipatory bail from a court fearing arrest in connection with the attack on Patankar.
The election for the post of deputy mayor will be held on January 8.