How much does rebellion matter in an election? It can end up disturbing poll arithmetic of parties. Rebel or independent candidates, who went on to fight polls independently after being put down by their parties, have an ability to upset the apple-cart for mainstream parties.
Let us take the example of Dr Suhas Natawadkar, who is contesting as an independent against Dr Heena Gavit of the BJP from Nandurbar. Natawadkar, who has unsuccessfully fought the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha polls against Manikrao Gavit from the erstwhile Congress bastion, which finally fell to the BJP in 2014, said he is representing BJP's loyalists who resent the growing influence of newbies in the district.