BMC polls: Two BJP nominees secure tickets but fail to submit nomination papers

Mumbai, Dec 31 (PTI) Two candidates of the BJP for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections failed to submit their forms on Tuesday, when the deadline to submit nominations ended, triggering a blame game between officials and aspirants.

Shakeel Ansari and Mandakini Khamkar were fielded from ward numbers 211 and 212, and their names had figured in the official list of the BJP.

Returning Officer Krishna Jadhav, who is in charge of both wards, told PTI that no nomination papers were received from the two candidates before the 5 PM deadline on December 30.

"I have not received nomination papers of the BJP candidates. So there are no candidates of the party from both the wards," he said.

More than 2,500 nomination forms have been submitted before the deadline for 227 corporator seats in Mumbai for the January 15, 2026, elections.

Ansari and Khamkar were supposed to make a debut in the civic polls.

Khamkar claimed she was outside the returning officer's office at 4:47 PM, when she was informed that her form would not be accepted. She was not even allowed to enter the RO office in ward 212.

"The RO decided to stop allowing entries around 4:30 pm. I arrived by 4:10 pm and had already completed procedures when officials told us they wouldn't accept any more forms.

"I received my AB form a bit late. I reached there around 4 pm., but the presence of many other independents caused delays in filing my nomination," she told reporters.

She blamed the returning officers for refusing to accept the forms.

"How can they deny the forms of BJP, the national party?" she asked. PTI KK ND NSK