The party on Wednesday, released list of six candidates for the elections, five for UP and one for Maharashtra. It has fielded Mulund corporator Manoj Kotak in place of Kirit Somayya due to strong opposition from its ally in the state Shiv Sena, sources said.
Somaiya who has represented the North-East seat twice in the Lok Sabha, had leveled corruption allegations against Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray during Mumbai civic polls.
While the BJP was keen to renominate the sitting MP, the Sena was strongly opposed to his candidature and had warned against it.
Recently, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil had also admitted that BJP was divided over Somaiya, after Uddhav Thackeray raised objection over his re-nomination. It was left to party high command to intervene and hammer out a mutually acceptable solution.
Somaiya was among the front leaders of the BJP who had launched strong attack on Shiv Sena when their alliance ruptured during the 2014 assembly polls. Kirit has also leveled serious ccorruption allegations on Tahckeray family and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Though, when the parties came together again, Somaiya and other party leaders tried to mend their differences, but the Sena remained miffed at Somaiya.