Ashish Shelar, president of the Mumbai unit of the BJP, has decided to welcome rebel corporators who had left the party at the time of the BMC elections or had been expelled. However, the decision has left some party members upset as can be seen by anonymous banners that have come up in Vile-Parle. Recently, the BJP took back former corporators Parag Alavani and his wife Jyoti who won the BMC election as an independent candidate. However, the banners in Vile-Parle announced that Mr Alawani had first tried to enter the Shiv Sena and the MNS and returned to the BJP only after those parties did not entertain him. Mr Alvani was the BMC corporator from Vile-Parle. Last year, the seat was reserved for women and he wanted the candidature for his wife, which the party declined. She contested the election independently with her husband participating in her election rallies. In February 2012, Mr Alvani was expelled from BJP. “I want to increase our party’s base, so I have decided to welcome all those who were expelled or left the party,” said Mr Shelar. He added, “There is no rage in the party. The banner is old and had been put up before the decision on Mr Alvani was taken.” “The decision was not mine. It was party decision,-" he concluded.
