NAVI MUMBAI, Jan. 3 -- Barely weeks before the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is grappling with its most serious internal upheaval in over a decade. A rebellion has erupted among long-standing party workers following a candidate selection process allegedly hijacked by the camp of senior leader and minister Ganesh Naik. It triggered a wave of high-profile defections to the Shiv Sena in the run-up to ticket distribution for the polls. The turmoil follows the state leadership's decision to appoint Naik as Thane district in-charge and his elder son, Sanjeev Naik, as election in-charge for Navi Mumbai. Party insiders argue this move effectively handed the Naik family control over the 111-member civic body's nominations. The final list is dominated by loyalists who entered the BJP with Naik in 2022, many of whom briefly deserted the party during last year's assembly elections when Naik's younger son, Sandeep, revolted. Their subsequent reward with civic tickets has insulted cadres who built the party from the ground up. In a move that local leaders describe as institutional sabotage, 13 aspirants loyal to Belapur MLA Manda Mhatre were issued AB forms that lacked the mandatory signature of city BJP president Rajesh Patil. With Patil reportedly going incommunicado, these candidates were legally blocked from filing their nomination papers. Mhatre has accused the Naik camp of orchestrating a purge. "This was dirty politics to deny tickets to original BJP workers and make way for those who had betrayed the party earlier," she declared. The rebellion in the BJP is the Shiv Sena's gain. Sachin Desai, former Maharashtra secretary of the BJP-affiliated Chitrapat Kamgar Aghadi, has defected to the Sena, stating: "I am tired of Navi Mumbai BJP politics, where committed workers are sidelined. I have joined the Shiv Sena, but will continue to support the prime minister and work aggressively for the Mahayuti." Similarly, Rajesh Naresh Patil, a senior leader and former Konkan division joint sampark pramukh, joined the Sena to protest what he called "dynastic capture." He said, "The BJP speaks of one ticket per family, but several tickets have been given within one family. This is dynastic politics... I have joined the Shiv Sena because there is no justice here." The exodus also includes heavyweights like former city general secretary Datta Ghangale, who is now contesting on a Sena ticket. "The agenda behind denying tickets was not electoral. I pushed self-redevelopment in my area, which did not suit certain interests. That is why leaders like us were deliberately kept out." Suhasini Naidu, who moved to the NCP, echoed the sentiment, noting that tickets were handed to "unknowns" over proven loyalists. This internal bleeding has emboldened the Sena. Navi Mumbai Sena chief Kishor Patkar noted that the BJP's refusal to offer a fair alliance (offering only 20 seats instead of the 57 requested) has backfired. "Those who left the BJP with Sandeep Naik returned, only to get tickets and BJP votes. The original cadre is very upset and is joining us," Patkar observed. BJP state president Ravindra Chavan acknowledged the anger, saying, "Denial of tickets does upset workers and discussions are underway to resolve grievances." Former MP and BJP Navi Mumbai election in-charge Sanjeev Naik said, "Candidate selection is a party process and even names proposed by us were dropped and we pacified them. We are speaking to those who are upset and will resolve all issues. We are all committed to contesting unitedly and ensuring victory for the party in the election." Despite these assurances, some damage may have already been done. Disgruntled workers say they may not support the official candidate in areas such as Vashi, Sanpada and Belapur, thus hurting the BJP's electoral chances....