Ex-BJP corporator Nehal Shah to contest BMC Election 2026 as Independent candidate after party denies ticket

Nehal Shah had won the 2017 BMC election from ward 177 with a margin of over 8,500 votes. Pic/X

Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator from F North Ward's electoral ward number 177, Nehal Shah, has decided to file her nomination as an Independent candidate on Tuesday after the party denied her a ticket from her home ward, which is reserved for women, for the BMC Election 2026.

Shah had won the 2017 BMC election from ward 177 with a margin of over 8,500 votes, securing 11,298 votes, or 56 per cent of the total votes polled.

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However, for BMC Election 2026, the BJP has fielded first-time candidate Kalpesha Kothari from ward 177.

Speaking to mid-day.com, Shah said, "I have been active in my ward for nine years. When my voters learned that I had not been given a ticket, they urged me to contest anyway. While other parties approached me, I do not want to compromise on my ideology, which aligns with the BJP. So, I have decided to contest as an Independent this year."