Congress to go solo in BMC polls; MVA winks

Mumbai: In a dramatic political twist, the Maharashtra Congress will contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections solo, AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala announced here on Saturday. The Maharashtra Congress on Saturday released a list of 40 star campaigners for the upcoming municipal and nagar panchayat elections in the state. “We will contest all 227 seats independently in the BMC polls. This is the desire of all our party leaders and workers… to go alone...

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Mumbai: In a dramatic political twist, the Maharashtra Congress will contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections solo, AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala announced here on Saturday. The Maharashtra Congress on Saturday released a list of 40 star campaigners for the upcoming municipal and nagar panchayat elections in the state. “We will contest all 227 seats independently in the BMC polls. This is the desire of all our party leaders and workers… to go alone in the civic elections,” Chennithala said tersely after a meeting of senior state and city leaders. The announcement drew no howls of protest or chest-beating from the other Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners - the NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT) – plus the smaller ones, many of whom watched the unfolding internal dynamics quietly. In what seemed a veiled swipe at Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), MRCC President Prof. Varsha Gaikwad insisted the Congress was a “cultured and respected party” and could not align with any outfit that had previously targeted Bihari and north Indian migrants. She reiterated that the Congress’ alliance with the NCP (SP) remains intact, adding that only Sharad Pawar would comment further on the matter. Chennithala’s ‘ekla chalo re’ move came barely a day after the Congress-RJD-Left-plus Mahagathbandhan secured just 35 seats in Bihar, and was crushed to the political pavement by the NDA bulldozer that bagged 202 seats, and six went to others in the 243-strong Assembly. Sharp criticism That defeat triggered sharp criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) senior leader Ambadas Danve, who squarely blamed the Congress for dithering on naming the Bihar CM face till the last moments and allegedly bargaining hard to corner maximum seats from the smaller allies. While none of the Congress’ top brass responded to Danve’s outburst, several city, district and state leaders privately – and almost unanimously - urged Chennithala to adopt an ‘akele lado’ (fight solo) stance for the BMC polls in today's meeting. A senior state Congress leader, requesting anonymity, said MVA partners were uneasy over the increasing public bonhomie between the Thackeray cousins - Uddhav and Raj - ahead of the civic polls. “In the current scenario, someone may be a good asset for the family, but could prove a political liability… Congress workers are worried of a negative public reaction in the cosmopolitan Mumbai and the MMR if the MNS ends up contesting on the MVA platform,” he explained. Following Chennithala’s blunt declaration, political circles are abuzz with speculation over whether the Congress will extend its ‘undeclared ban’ on tie-ups with certain parties and its actual repercussions beyond the BMC, as the civic poll schedules draw nearer. Despite the friction, both the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) remain supremely confident that the next BMC Mayor will be from their respective parties.

Congress to go solo in BMC polls; MVA winks

Quaid Najmi
6 hours ago
2 min read

Mumbai: In a dramatic political twist, the Maharashtra Congress will contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections solo, AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala announced here on Saturday.

The Maharashtra Congress on Saturday released a list of 40 star campaigners for the upcoming municipal and nagar panchayat elections in the state.

“We will contest all 227 seats independently in the BMC polls. This is the desire of all our party leaders and workers… to go alone in the civic elections,” Chennithala said tersely after a meeting of senior state and city leaders.

The announcement drew no howls of protest or chest-beating from the other Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners - the NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT) – plus the smaller ones, many of whom watched the unfolding internal dynamics quietly.

In what seemed a veiled swipe at Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), MRCC President Prof. Varsha Gaikwad insisted the Congress was a “cultured and respected party” and could not align with any outfit that had previously targeted Bihari and north Indian migrants.

She reiterated that the Congress’ alliance with the NCP (SP) remains intact, adding that only Sharad Pawar would comment further on the matter.

Chennithala’s ‘ekla chalo re’ move came barely a day after the Congress-RJD-Left-plus Mahagathbandhan secured just 35 seats in Bihar, and was crushed to the political pavement by the NDA bulldozer that bagged 202 seats, and six went to others in the 243-strong Assembly.

Sharp criticism

That defeat triggered sharp criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) senior leader Ambadas Danve, who squarely blamed the Congress for dithering on naming the Bihar CM face till the last moments and allegedly bargaining hard to corner maximum seats from the smaller allies.

While none of the Congress’ top brass responded to Danve’s outburst, several city, district and state leaders privately – and almost unanimously - urged Chennithala to adopt an ‘akele lado’ (fight solo) stance for the BMC polls in today's meeting.

A senior state Congress leader, requesting anonymity, said MVA partners were uneasy over the increasing public bonhomie between the Thackeray cousins - Uddhav and Raj - ahead of the civic polls.

“In the current scenario, someone may be a good asset for the family, but could prove a political liability… Congress workers are worried of a negative public reaction in the cosmopolitan Mumbai and the MMR if the MNS ends up contesting on the MVA platform,” he explained.

Following Chennithala’s blunt declaration, political circles are abuzz with speculation over whether the Congress will extend its ‘undeclared ban’ on tie-ups with certain parties and its actual repercussions beyond the BMC, as the civic poll schedules draw nearer.

Despite the friction, both the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) remain supremely confident that the next BMC Mayor will be from their respective parties.