Mumbai: Ahead of polls, Congress, NCP and SP split with Sena in BMC

Congress party` Ravi Raja, NCP`s Rakhi Jadhav and Samajwadi Party`s Rais Shaikh at the BMC office on Tuesday

As the municipal elections come closer, political parties in the BMC have started stirring and on Tuesday, Opposition parties - Congress, NCP and SP, distanced themselves from Shiv Sena, their partner in the state government. The parties criticised the ruling party and the civic administration saying that Varsha, the CM's official residence, is running the BMC and commenting that there should be a permanent cabin for the commissioner at the bungalow.

Municipal elections are slated for 2022. A day after Congress celebrated its foundation day, where party leaders announced they'd contest all BMC seats, Opposition parties together protested against Shiv Sena's rigid approach.

"The BMC is being run from Varsha bungalow. The commissioner doesn't have time to meet us and we always get a response that he is at Varsha. There should be a permanent cabin for him at the bungalow," said Rais Shaikh, group leader of Samajwadi Party.

"Though we are in alliance at the state level, there isn't any coalition at the corporation level. We are efficient opposition parties. But Sena and the administration are not in the mood to solve public issues," said Ravi Raja, leader of Opposition and Congress corporator.

"We came together in the state to oppose BJP and that is not the case at the BMC level," said Rais Sheikh. While attacking Sena, parties also condemned the BJP. "BJP is interested only in political gimmicks. While we opposed many proposals in the meeting and even walked out, the BJP didn't do so with us," Raja said.