India, June 18 -- For a political party, winning an election trumps everything - even if it means forgiving a foe for leaking embarrassing photos from a casino party, and overlooking alleged underworld ties. It was in this spirit that the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed Sudhakar Badgujar into its fold with a grand reception on Tuesday.

There's just one reason the BJP invited Badgujar to cross over from the Shiv Sena (UBT). A local leader with considerable clout in Nashik, the BJP is betting big on him helping them win local body elections in North Maharashtra, scheduled for later this year.

But joining the party has caused a fair amount of heartburn. Badgujar had been accused by BJP leaders of links with the Dawood Ibrahim g...