Shocked by UP results, Congress drops idea of going solo in BMC elections

After the debacle in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress appears to have softened its stand for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. The party initially maintained that it would contest all seats separately, but post the BJP's landslide victory recently in UP, its leaders have been asked not to concentrate on wards that are currently with the Shiv Sena and the NCP.

Our Mumbai leaders told us not to concentrate on wards which are the Sena and NCP's strongholds. I was working in a ward where a Sena candidate was elected in the last election. In another ward, too, that I am working in, a Sena candidate has been elected. I have no choice," said a Congressman.

But party members seem to face other issues too. "With whom will we fight? The Shiv Sena is the ruling party in the BMC. Can we pose it questions during the campaign? No, as we are part of the MVA. Also, we can't pose questions to the BJP for Central issues as this is a local election. We need to fight about local issues," said another leader.

City Congress President Bhai Jagtap with Rahul Gandhi. Pic/Twitter

Senior leader Bhai Jagtap feels the party should still contest on its own and members should work in every ward that their candidates stand from. "I have always been in favour of contesting elections separately. To keep the party alive in the city, we need to fight out in every ward. I share my views with the Delhi leaders each time we meet. But half of our corporators are in favour of contesting with the Maha Vikas Aghadi," said Mumbai Congress President Bhai Jagtap.

"The 2017 election was a bad phase for Congress. But we have to work in every ward, even the one where we got the lowest, 700 votes. If we do not contest the election in that ward, we will lose even that base there," he added. As per the BMC's record, till March 7 when the civic term ended, the Shiv Sena was the largest party with 98 corporators, the BJP was second with 83, and Congress third with 28 corporators.

02
No. of seats Congress won in the assembly polls in UP