Geeta Jain: Controversial BJP Leader and Assaulter

Geeta Bharat Jain, a 58-year-old politician, made headlines for assaulting an engineer of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra’s Thane district. Despite the BJP distancing itself from her actions and calls for disciplinary measures, Jain has shown no remorse.
Jain, who had previously left the BJP, joined the Shiv Sena, and then returned to the BJP, remains unapologetic. Shubham Patil, the junior engineer who was targeted, filed a complaint with the Kashimira police. However, Jain has threatened to raise the issue during the Assembly’s monsoon session.
According to Jain, her actions were in support of a helpless family whose structures were being demolished by officials. She claimed that the structure was on private land and accused the officials of assisting a private developer. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the incident, stating that while individuals may get angry, physical attacks are unacceptable, especially from elected members who should conduct themselves responsibly in public.
Jain’s political journey has been marked by upheavals and party switches. In 2019, she rebelled against the BJP after being denied a ticket for the Mira-Bhayandar Assembly constituency. Running as an independent candidate, she defeated BJP leader and MLA Narendra Mehta, using Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name during her campaign.
Initially joining the Shiv Sena, Jain later quit the party in June 2022 due to internal differences. Subsequently, when the BJP and the Sena’s Eknath Shinde faction were forming the government, Jain returned to the BJP. She began her political career as a corporator in 2002 and remained active in the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation for over 15 years, serving as mayor in 2015 and being re-elected as a corporator in 2017.
Re-reported from the article originally published in The Indian Express