“No Alliance for BMC Polls! Congress Decides to Go Solo Following Delhi Discussions”

MUMBAI: In a significant political development, the Congress party has decided to go solo in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The move was finalized during a high-level meeting held in New Delhi on May 13, which was attended by several senior Congress leaders from Mumbai. According to party insiders, the decision stems from the need to protect and rebuild the party’s organisational strength, which leaders believe has been eroding steadily over the years.

 

This decision comes amid growing concerns that the party’s base in Mumbai is being eaten away by alliance partners, especially within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. A senior leader who was part of the discussion revealed that all Mumbai-based Congress leaders were firm that the party should not contest the BMC elections as part of the MVA. “We are already losing our core voter base to our allies. If we continue this alliance approach in local elections, we may lose our footing in the city entirely,” the leader reportedly told the central leadership.

 

The internal discussion also reflected dissatisfaction over the distribution of seats in the recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. In the 2024 general elections, the Congress was given just two seats in Mumbai—Mumbai North and Mumbai North Central—of which it could win only one. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the party was allocated only 11 seats, which many leaders considered unfair.

 

A senior Congress MLA present at the Delhi meeting confirmed the shift in strategy. “The BMC elections are not just about winning seats; they are connected to the grassroots structure of the party. These polls help us develop new local leadership, and hence it is essential to contest independently,” the MLA said.

Another senior leader added that while the Congress will fight the BMC elections alone, the option of a post-poll alliance with MVA partners remains open, depending on the results.

 

Ramesh Chennithala, Congress’ in-charge for Maharashtra, also confirmed the development. He said that while the party would remain a part of the MVA alliance, it could choose to contest certain elections independently. “Local elections are influenced by local issues, and the local leadership's opinion must be considered. We are still part of MVA, but we may contest on our own,” he told Hindustan Times.

 

Chennithala acknowledged the rising frustration within the party. “In the last Lok Sabha elections, we got only two seats in Mumbai, and could win just one. The situation was similar in the Assembly polls. Naturally, our leaders are unhappy. That’s why the idea of contesting alone is gaining ground,” he added.

The decision reflects a broader concern about the Congress' declining presence in Mumbai, the very city where the party was founded. From 75 seats in the 2007 BMC elections, the party’s tally dropped to 56 in 2012 and fell further to just 31 in 2017. Many of those elected corporators later defected to the BJP and Shiv Sena, further weakening the Congress’ hold.

 

The May 13 meeting in Delhi was attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Ramesh Chennithala, CWC members Chandrakant Handore and Arif Naseem Khan, Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad, former city president Ashok Jagtap, MLAs Amin Patel and Aslam Shaikh, former ministers Suresh Shetty and Madhu Chavan, and treasurer Amarjit Singh Manhas.

 

This move by the Congress signals a strategic reset ahead of one of the most crucial urban elections in India, with the party hoping to reclaim lost ground in the financial capital.