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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Congress’ solo path for ‘ideological survival’

Mumbai: The Congress party’s decision to contest the forthcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections independently is being viewed as an attempt to reclaim its ideological space among the public and restore credibility within its cadre, senior leaders indicated. The announcement - made by AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala alongside state president Harshwardhan Sapkal and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad - did not trigger a backlash from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi...

Congress’ solo path for ‘ideological survival’

Mumbai: The Congress party’s decision to contest the forthcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections independently is being viewed as an attempt to reclaim its ideological space among the public and restore credibility within its cadre, senior leaders indicated. The announcement - made by AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala alongside state president Harshwardhan Sapkal and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad - did not trigger a backlash from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners, the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT). According to Congress insiders, the move is the outcome of more than a year of intense internal consultations following the party’ dismal performance in the 2024 Assembly elections, belying huge expectations. A broad consensus reportedly emerged that the party should chart a “lone-wolf” course to safeguard the core ideals of Congress, turning140-years-old, next month. State and Mumbai-level Congress leaders, speaking off the record, said that although the party gained momentum in the 2019 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it was frequently constrained by alliance compulsions. Several MVA partners, they claimed, remained unyielding on larger ideological and political issues. “The Congress had to compromise repeatedly and soften its position, but endured it as part of ‘alliance dharma’. Others did not reciprocate in the same spirit. They made unilateral announcements and declared candidates or policies without consensus,” a senior state leader remarked. Avoid liabilities He added that some alliance-backed candidates later proved to be liabilities. Many either lost narrowly or, even after winning with the support of Congress workers, defected to Mahayuti constituents - the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, or the Nationalist Congress Party. “More than five dozen such desertions have taken place so far, which is unethical, backstabbing the voters and a waste of all our efforts,” he rued. A Mumbai office-bearer elaborated that in certain constituencies, Congress workers effectively propelled weak allied candidates through the campaign. “Our assessment is that post-split, some partners have alienated their grassroots base, especially in the mofussil regions. They increasingly rely on Congress workers. This is causing disillusionment among our cadre, who see deserving leaders being sidelined and organisational growth stagnating,” he said. Chennithala’s declaration on Saturday was unambiguous: “We will contest all 227 seats independently in the BMC polls. This is the demand of our leaders and workers - to go alone in the civic elections.” Gaikwad added that the Congress is a “cultured and respectable party” that cannot ally with just anyone—a subtle reference to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which had earlier targeted North Indians and other communities and is now bidding for an electoral arrangement with the SS(UBT). Both state and city leaders reiterated that barring the BMC elections - where the Congress will take the ‘ekla chalo’ route - the MVA alliance remains intact. This is despite the sharp criticism recently levelled at the Congress by senior SS(UBT) leader Ambadas Danve following the Bihar results. “We are confident that secular-minded voters will support the Congress' fight against the BJP-RSS in local body elections. We welcome backing from like-minded parties and hope to finalize understandings with some soon,” a state functionary hinted. Meanwhile, Chennithala’s firm stance has triggered speculation in political circles about whether the Congress’ informal ‘black-sheep' policy vis-a-vis certain parties will extend beyond the BMC polls.

How Devendra Fadnavis Single-Handedly Changed the Face of Mumbai

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In the last decade, Mumbai has witnessed a transformation that few could have imagined — a metamorphosis from a congested, overburdened metropolis into a city on the move. At the center of this transformation stands one man: Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s dynamic leader, visionary administrator, and the driving force behind Mumbai’s infrastructure revolution.


As Chief Minister Fadnavis has been the architect of Mumbai’s grand modernisation. His tenure marked the beginning of an unprecedented wave of infrastructure projects — from the Mumbai Metro expansion and Mumbai Coastal Road, to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), and the Navi Mumbai International Airport. Together, these initiatives are redefining the city’s skyline, economy, and global competitiveness.


Metro revolution

Mumbai’s lifeline has always been its railways, but by the early 2010s, it was evident that suburban trains alone could no longer sustain the growing population. Fadnavis took a bold, integrated approach to solve this — fast-tracking and approving multiple metro corridors simultaneously.


Under his leadership, projects that had languished for years finally moved from paper to concrete. The Metro 2A (Dahisar to DN Nagar) and Metro 7 (Dahisar East to Andheri East) lines, long delayed, began rapid construction. He also cleared and launched Metro 3 (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) — the city’s first fully underground metro, connecting South Mumbai to the business hubs of Bandra-Kurla Complex and SEEPZ.


With more than 300 km of metro lines planned or under construction, Mumbai’s public transport is being reborn. Once complete, this network will rival those of major world cities, slashing travel times, reducing pollution, and decongesting roads. Fadnavis’ vision was not just about transport — it was about giving Mumbaikars their time and convenience back.


Coastal Road

For decades, the dream of driving along Mumbai’s western coastline without bumper-to-bumper traffic seemed impossible. The Mumbai Coastal Road Project, first conceptualised decades ago, finally found momentum under Fadnavis.


Despite legal, environmental, and bureaucratic hurdles, Fadnavis pushed the project forward with determination. The result: a 29-km world-class expressway stretching from Marine Drive to Kandivali, featuring tunnels under Malabar Hill and beautiful sea-facing promenades.


The Coastal Road is more than just an engineering feat — it is a symbol of modern Mumbai’s ambition. It represents a city reclaiming its space and its future. Once completed, it will dramatically cut commute times, open up new real estate and business corridors, and become an iconic landmark of the city’s transformation.


Bullet train and NMIA

The Mumbai–Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project, India’s first high-speed rail corridor, represents another historic milestone championed by Fadnavis. When critics doubted its feasibility, he saw it as a necessary leap for India’s economic capital.


The project, being executed with Japanese collaboration, is not just about speed — it is about technology transfer, precision engineering, and economic growth. The bullet train will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to just two hours, boosting trade, investment, and tourism between two of India’s most dynamic regions.


Fadnavis’ unwavering support ensured land acquisition, clearances, and coordination with central agencies. Perhaps no project captures Mumbai’s expansion better than the Navi Mumbai International Airport. Conceived in the 1990s but mired in red tape for decades, it was under Fadnavis’ leadership that the project truly took off.


His government cleared environmental and compensation issues, streamlined approvals, and brought together stakeholders including CIDCO, the Adani Group, and central ministries. Now, with the first phase nearing completion and Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating its first terminal, Mumbai is set to become a dual-airport city — a global aviation hub on par with London or New York.


Fadnavis model

What sets Devendra Fadnavis apart is not just his ability to launch big projects, but to ensure continuity, coordination, and accountability. He brought a corporate-style efficiency to governance, leveraging technology and transparent monitoring systems.


His leadership transcends party lines — even opponents acknowledge his administrative acumen. Whether it’s the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (the longest sea bridge in India) or the rejuvenation of the eastern waterfront, every project bears his imprint of foresight and precision. Fadnavis often says, “Mumbai doesn’t just need projects; it needs purpose.” That purpose is now visible across the city — in its expanding metro networks, gleaming new roads, tunnels, and terminals. Fadnavis has not just changed Mumbai’s skyline; he has redefined its future.


(The writer is a BJP official based in Thane. Views personal.)

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