Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 2: In a significant political development, the Congress has decided to contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on its own, breaking away from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for the local polls.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting in New Delhi on May 13, attended by senior Mumbai Congress leaders and top party figures including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. The move comes amid growing dissatisfaction within the Congress over its shrinking political space within the MVA alliance.

Party insiders said the decision to go solo is aimed at reviving the organisation and preventing further erosion of its voter base in Mumbai. “If we contest as part of the MVA again, we risk becoming irrelevant in the city,” a senior leader said.

Congress leaders are also upset over the limited number of seats allotted to them in previous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. In Mumbai, the party contested just two Lok Sabha seats and 11 Assembly seats, winning only a few.

“The BMC election is vital to grassroots revival and new leadership development,” said a Congress MLA. “A solo fight will help us rebuild the party.” However, leaders also clarified that the party remains part of the MVA and that post-poll alliances remain a possibility.

The Congress’ BMC tally has been on a steep decline from 75 seats in 2007 to just 31 in 2017, with many corporators later switching sides to the Shiv Sena or BJP.

Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala confirmed the party’s intent to contest alone, adding, “The local leadership’s voice matters most in civic polls. The MVA alliance continues, but the BMC strategy will be independent.”