{
  "id": 9567636,
  "title": "BJP Symbol In Bhiwandi Mayor's Office Sparks Buzz; Narayan Chaudhary Says He Stays With Secular Front",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/bjp-symbol-in-bhiwandi-mayors-office-sparks-buzz-narayan-chaudhary",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T14:12:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/bjp-symbol-in-bhiwandi-mayors-office-sparks-buzz-narayan-chaudhary-says-he-stays-with-secular-front"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Political discussions have been on the rise in Bhiwandi after Mayor Narayan Chaudhary, who secured his position with the backing of Congress and NCP, was seen wearing the BJP lotus symbol at a Ganeshotsav event attended by Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan on Wednesday. This incident has sparked speculation in local political circles about Chaudhary potentially joining the BJP. However, Chaudhary has firmly denied these claims, stating that he remains the mayor of the Bhiwandi Secular Front. Chaudhary had become the mayoral candidate of the Secular Front following disagreements over the BJP's nomination process. In the recent mayoral election held on February 20, he emerged victorious with 48 votes, outdoing Konark Vikas Aghadi candidate Vilas Patil (25 votes) and BJP candidate Sneha Patil (16 votes). Reports indicate that Chaudhary received support from 42 corporators from the Congress-NCP alliance, along with six BJP corporators who backed his candidacy. On Wednesday, the BJP state president Ravindra Chavan visited the Ganeshotsav event organized by the Dhamankar Naka Mitra Mandal, where Chaudhary welcomed him as the city's mayor. During the event, Santosh Shetty, the mandal president and BJP group leader in the civic body, placed the BJP lotus symbol on Chaudhary's chest. Chaudhary, while acknowledging this event, insisted that he has not joined the BJP and continues to lead the Bhiwandi Secular Front. Chavan, when questioned about Chaudhary's presence with the BJP symbol, referred to him as an old friend and described the BJP as a family. He suggested that Chaudhary has joined the BJP due to this familial bond. The Secular Front leaders have now sought clarification from Chaudhary regarding his political stance, asking him to clarify his position before the people of Bhiwandi and the corporators.",
  "summary": "Bhiwandi: Political discussions have gained momentum in Bhiwandi after Mayor Narayan Chaudhary, who was elected with the support of the Congress and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) backed Bhiwandi Secular Front, was seen wearing the BJP’s lotus symbol at a Ganeshotsav programme attended by Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan on Wednesday. The appearance of the BJP symbol on Chaudhary’s chest led…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}