'This isn't political. This fight is for justice. This is the fight to give justice to the party workers.'
After spending an entire day filing nominations for Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena candidates, when Union Minister Piyush Goyal broke the news on Gopal Shetty -- the two-time former BJP MP from Mumbai North constituency, which he vacated for Goyal in 2024 and from where the latter won with a margin of 357,608 votes against Shetty's 2019 margin of 465,247 votes -- that the party has chosen Sanjay Upadhyay to contest from Borivali, Shetty was quick to tell Goyal that he would contest against Upadhyay as an independent candidate.
In an interview with Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com at his suburban Kandivali West office, Gopal Shetty, who earlier in the day had filed his nomination as an Independent candidate, opens his heart out.
Sample this conversation where Shetty opens up when asked about his rebellion: "I am not against any outsider coming and contesting. Let me make it very clear again and again. It's okay once or twice. But successively four times is not acceptable. It is not acceptable."
Justifying his rebellion, a visibly pained Shetty then says: "Definitely it is wrong because the party workers are working day and night to build this party, to serve the people. And if anyone from anywhere comes and contests, then what is the use of party and sanghatna (organisation)?"
Interestingly, while Shetty will contest against Upadhyay, he says he has not quit the BJP and will not do so. "I am not going to resign. I am not going to leave my party's principles and ideologies. I am not going to contest this election by going to any other party. That's why I have chosen to fight as an Independent candidate."
After almost 35 years you filed your nomination as an Independent candidate. What was going through your mind? You have been a loyal BJP worker and it was after 35 years that you filed your nomination as an Independent candidate.
After 35 years such a thing has happened. When the situation arrived I had to take such decisions. So I have taken (my decision).
What situation arrived? Why did you take this decision and how painful was it for you or is it for you?
It was and it is very much painful for me. Because the reason behind (contesting as an Independent candidate against a BJP candidate from the Borivali Vidhan Sabha constituency) it is the people were saying that if a man of your stature is not taking any decision against such happenings, then who will take (such decisions)? In the coming 50 years no one will take. So you have to take the decision.
You have to react against this (unfair) decision, which the party has taken to nominate Sanjay Upadhyay from Borivali.
Once again I'm not totally against any outsiders because if you don't have a strong candidate in a given assembly and if you have good candidates from other assembly constituencies, then the party should field (an outsider). But once, twice (is fine); thrice is much more. This is the fourth time this has happened (that the BJP fielded an outsider from Borivali).
First, Vinod Tawdeji contested; second time, Sunil Raneji contested, third time Piyush Goyalji contested in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Now in this assembly election Sanjay Upadhyay's name has been (announced).
What went wrong? Why do you think that the BJP ignored your candidature? You've been the most qualified person to contest from the BJP from this constituency.
Let me make it very, very, clear that I have not asked for a ticket from the party to contest this election. Party workers suggested my name; in the party's survey from the public, my name had come forward.
It was discussed and the party has taken decision to not field Sunil Raneji, the present MLA, again. The news was in the media that Gopal Shetty will be given a chance (to contest from Borivali). It was not by the party but it was by the media.
Yesterday, my party's district president Ganesh Khandkar's name was in discussion in the morning. I don't know how far it was right or wrong, but it was in the public domain. (But when Khandkar's name was not announced) party karyakartas approached me yesterday (on October 28) noon time.
I had made very much clear to them (those who decide in the BJP who will contest elections) that if any party worker from whether it was from Borivali or Magathane (Borivali's adjoining neighbourhood from where Ganesh Khandkar belongs) because there's just a road (in between these two Vidhan Sabha constituencies) in the middle. It doesn't make any difference.
So we should accept (Khandkar's name). Because if (I were to take) any decision against that (Khandkar's nomination) also, then people would not have liked it. People have seen me; what I am and (in that spirit) we should support that new party worker, whom the party has nominated (and get him elected).
I made all party workers to understand the situation. But suddenly sometime between 3 and 3:30 pm, TV channels broke the news came that Sanjay Upadhyay has been nominated from Borivali.
From the morning (of October 28) I was with Piyush Goyalji. We filed the nomination of Vinod Shelar (who is contesting from Malad). We filed nomination of Yogesh Sagarji (who is contesting again from Charkop), of Manishatai Chowdhary (from Dahisar) and Prakash Surve (BJP ally Shiv Sena's nominee from Magathane).
After filing all four nominations we went to the party office at Kandivali. Piyush Goyalji was also with me. He told (me) that the party has taken the decision (to field Sanjay Upadhyay from Borivali).
I told him at that moment only that this decision is not right. People will not accept it. I told him yesterday (October 28) that I am going to file (my nomination) as an Independent candidate.
Did Piyush Goyal, after you told him that you'll be filing your nomination as an Independent, try to convince you to change your decision? Did anybody from the BJP, Devendra Fadnavis, try to convince you not to contest as an Independent?
Yes, yes. Piyush Goyal tried to convince me.
Devendra Fadnavisji called me on phone; Ashish Shelarji (BJP chief whip in the assembly, Mumbai BJP president and the candidate from Bandra West) visited my home personally at midnight.
Yogesh Sagarji came in the morning. Atul Bhatkalkarji (BJP's sitting MLA from Kandivali) and several others leaders called me in the morning. All tried to convince me that you should not do this. But I made them understand why I am doing this.
Now that you have filed your nomination how do you plan to contest and win this election? What will happen on the ground because you will be fighting against your own family members?
The entire BJP was like a family till yesterday. Suddenly friends are no more friends... How do you feel as a human being, as a leader to be in this position?
Friends are always friends. Piyush Goyalji is also ours. All Bharatiya Janta Party workers are mine. I am for them.
I have appealed not only to Bharatiya Janata Party workers but of all the political parties that they should stand behind me in this fight because this is not a political fight. This is the fight to give justice to the party workers and to the people of Borivali.
This particular subject (of not giving party a ticket to loyalists) is not only (an issue limited) to Borivali. It is for the entire nation. I will say everywhere such things (loyal workers are not getting tickets to contest election) are happening. It should not happen.
Again I will say this that I am not 100% against any outsider coming and contesting. Let me make it very clear again and again. It's okay once or twice. But successively four times it is not acceptable. It is not acceptable.
How do you plan to win this election? How confident are you because this is going to be a multi-cornered contest where you have the two major alliances -- the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi -- and then you have the MNS in the fray.
Do you think it will lead to fractions among voters? How confident are you of winning this seat?
I don't see any fractions will be there. Definitely some fractions will be there. But most of the people from all the political parties will support me. They have seen my work and the reason I am fighting this fight.
I am not fighting for myself to gain something. I am fighting to make the system right.
So you think the system is wrong when they don't choose a loyal party soldier to contest the election?
Definitely it is wrong because the party workers are working day and night to build this party, to serve the people. And if anyone from anywhere comes and contests then what is the use of party and sanghatna (organisation)?
You have not yet resigned from the BJP. Neither has the BJP taken any disciplinary action against you.
I have told yesterday only I have not resigned. I am not going to resign. I am not going to leave my party's principles and ideologies. I am not going to contest this election by going to any other party. That's why I have chosen to fight as an Independent candidate. All are mine and I am for all. Okay.
Did the Maha Vikas Aghadi or any other party invite you to contest on their ticket?
Yes. I have received some phone calls from various political party leaders and my supporters have asked me to release a request letter through the media (that I am not going to fight on any other party ticket) and I'm going to do that. My message will be conveyed to all of them.
Why did you refuse to join any other party? You're still, from your heart, a BJP man.
I am not unhappy with my party. I am very much happy with my party. While I'm seeking support from other political parties also I am on record that I am happy with my party. I am happy with my party bosses, but some people are doing all these things.
Who do you think is responsible for you not getting the ticket?
So far I don't have any name. If I get (the names) I will bring it to your notice.
Is anybody from the BJP still trying to convince you that to take back your nomination?
Definitely they will try.
Are they trying even after filing your nomination papers?
No. I am directly coming from there (where nomination papers were filed in Dahisar) to here (Shetty's office in suburban Kandivali). I am hoping that people will contact me and I will talk to them.
I will make them understand why I am doing all this. That should always be open, no? I don't have any enmity with anybody. I have difference (with my party colleagues in BJP) due to this episode, but I don't have any enmity with anybody.
I heard this from your supporters who accompanied you for filing the nomination papers that they hounded Piyush Goyal who was also present at the nomination centre to file Sanjay Upadhyay's nomination. Is that true?
I don't think any such thing has happened. But if it has happened (then) that it is wrong. I will say such things should not happen because we are one. We all are one. Piyush Goyalji is a Cabinet minister elected from this constituency. And he's our leader. We should respect him. I will appeal to all the party workers.
(We must respect) not just Piyush Goyalji, but even small party workers. We are all. We all are one.
Such things should not happen again.
Did you have any second thoughts when you sacrificed your Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency for Piyush Goyal in 2024? Do you feel that you should not have done that?
Never. Never. Never. Never.
Let me make it very clear that the North Mumbai constituency was not my father's property. It was the party's (prerogative to decide who gets to contest from where) and it should always be the party's decision to decide who gets to contest from where. That was not my personal property.
The party has given me opportunity seven times. I fought, I won.
When the prime minister (Narendra D Modi) decided that North Mumbai is a very safe constituency and Piyush Goyalji should contest from there then it was my duty to fulfill the wish of my prime minister. I am proud he chose North Mumbai for that job.
Will you take back your nomination if the prime minister or the Union home minister calls you and requests you to take back your nomination?
I don't think that the prime minister or any big other leaders will do such things to me. Because we all are of one thought and thinking, I don't think what I have done is wrong. No one can tell me that you are doing something wrong.
If I had gone to some other party to fight the election and win election and go to the Maharashtra assembly, that would have been wrong.
When I sought support from other political parties (to help him win this seat), I have made it very clearly that I will not join any party and contest this election. This election is something different which I am contesting. I am hopeful that people of other party and sections will also support me.
If the Mahayuti alliance forms or doesn't form the government and if you win this Borivali seat will you join the BJP again?
I am in the BJP. I don't think that I should answer this question at this moment.
What would be your message to the people of your constituency and to the BJP leadership in Maharashtra and at the national level?
My message to my party leaders has been already conveyed through this agitation for which I have filed this nomination.
To the people of Borivali, I will appeal again and again, with folded hands that they should stand behind me in this fight. Things which are happening should not (have) happen(ed) before and in the coming days. Sometimes it is okay. But it should not happen again and again.
I am hopeful that people will stand behind me.
