Bhiwandi Mayor Narayan Chaudhary, a three-time corporator who most recently won on a BJP ticket, broke ranks with his party after it replaced him as its official mayoral candidate. He went on to secure the Bhiwandi mayor’s post with Congress support and cross-voting from within the BJP, altering the political balance in the civic body.

Chaudhary is no stranger to local politics. He began his career with the Bhiwandi Vikas Aghadi, later joined the Samajwadi Party, and eventually contested and won on a BJP ticket. In an interview with ZEESHAN SHAIKH Chaudhary speaks about his split with the BJP, his differences with alliance partner Shiv Sena, the possibility of disciplinary action, and his priorities as mayor.

Ans) Bhiwandi is important to India’s economy because of its warehousing and textile industries. However, much of that activity lies outside the municipal corporation limits, while the city itself is in poor condition. Infrastructure needs urgent attention.

While improving civic infrastructure will be a major focus, my immediate priority is education. The condition of our municipal schools and the quality of education need improvement. I am drafting a plan to upgrade school facilities and raise education standards. We will soon present a detailed roadmap.

Ans) The BJP had nominated me as its mayoral candidate, and I am grateful for that trust. I made every effort, along with our alliance partners, to form a coalition and secure the mayor’s post. However, I did not receive the expected support from my ally the Shiv Sena. There were several meetings, but our allies were working independently. Even within my own party, I did not receive full backing. Under those circumstances, I had to take this decision.

Ans) I have nothing against the BJP. But it is true that while the Shiv Sena was our ally, certain developments weakened our position. Nine corporators who were crucial to forming a majority were no longer aligned with us as the Shiv Sena had poached them to their side and were unwilling to extend support to us. You cannot tie one of my arms and ask me to swim. These constraints made it impossible for me to take control of the corporation, which led to this move.

Ans) We have always been in discussions with different parties because our priority is the city’s development. The situation I found myself in forced us to explore other options. The discussions happened collectively, and the decision was taken keeping Bhiwandi’s interests in mind.

Ans) I have a lot of respect for the BJP and its leadership. As far as possible legal action is concerned, I do not want to comment at this stage. We will fight any battle legally if required. I believe that when you stand for what is right, no one can harm you “jyala dev tari tyala kon mari” if God protects you, no one can defeat you. Our focus remains on the development of Bhiwandi, and work on this front has already begun.