Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Nov 15: In a move that has stirred the political landscape ahead of the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the Congress on Saturday (November 15, 2025) indicated that it is preparing to contest the polls independently, suggesting emerging tensions within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Addressing a key party meeting, Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad urged party workers to gear up for a full-fledged solo fight.
“We must unfurl the Congress flag in the BMC. Prepare for all 227 seats,” she declared, as the elections—likely to be held in January 2026—draw closer. Senior leaders, including AICC general secretary Ramesh Chennithala and Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal, were present during the announcement.
The Congress's stance comes amid increasing speculation that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS leader Raj Thackeray may come together for the civic polls. This possibility has raised discomfort within sections of the Congress, given Raj Thackeray’s past aggressive rhetoric against North Indian migrants.
Gaikwad noted that local leaders had expressed a strong preference to contest alone, even though national leaders earlier said such decisions rested with state units.
“We have conveyed to Chennithala ji that Congress leaders and workers prefer to go solo, along with like-minded parties and groups,” she said, adding that organisational teams had been briefed on preparations.
She also instructed party workers to remain vigilant about the voter list and intensify ground-level work over the next two months.
The Congress, which teamed up with its long-time rival Shiv Sena in 2019 to form the MVA, has seen its influence shrink in Mumbai. In the 2024 elections, the party won only two of six Lok Sabha seats and 10 of 36 Assembly seats, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) enjoyed greater leverage in seat-sharing.
With internal dynamics shifting and alliances under strain, the stage is set for a high-stakes battle for control of India’s richest civic body.