Congress Faces Internal Turmoil After Mumbai Civic Poll Setback
Internal divisions have resurfaced within the Congress party's Mumbai unit following a disappointing performance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The party recorded its lowest-ever tally in the civic polls, winning just 24 seats in the 227-member body. This represents a decline from the 31 seats secured during the 2017 elections.
Senior Leader Demands Resignation
Former Mumbai Congress president and current MLC Bhai Jagtap publicly called for city president Varsha Gaikwad to step down on moral grounds. Jagtap argued that the election results marked a historic low for the party in Mumbai. He expressed dissatisfaction with the candidate selection process, claiming tickets were distributed based on a survey that was never shown to him.
"When candidates were selected, I was told that tickets were distributed based on a survey," Jagtap stated. "I didn't object that time, but when I asked for the survey, it wasn't shown to me."
Disciplinary Action Follows Criticism
The Congress leadership responded swiftly to Jagtap's public criticism. The party issued a show-cause notice to the senior leader for indiscipline. This action came after Jagtap openly criticized Gaikwad's leadership and demanded her resignation following the BMC election results.
The party's poor showing has intensified internal debates about strategy and leadership. Congress officials attempted to downplay the electoral setback while acknowledging the challenging circumstances.
Party Spokesperson Defends Performance
Mumbai Congress chief spokesperson Sachin Sawant defended the election outcome. He described the party's performance as satisfactory given what he called adverse circumstances. Sawant claimed Congress workers demonstrated determination despite pressure from the ruling alliance.
Sawant made serious allegations against the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition. He accused them of misusing police, administration, and election machinery during the polls. The spokesperson claimed the ruling alliance resorted to inducement, intimidation, and division tactics.
"Despite this, Congress workers did not lose courage and fought resolutely," Sawant asserted. He described the result as morale-boosting despite the limited number of seats won.
Alliance Strategy Questioned
The Congress contested the BMC elections without its traditional Maha Vikas Aghadi partners. Instead, the party formed an alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, RSP, and RPI (Gavai) to contest 152 seats. However, none of these alliance partners managed to win any seats in the elections.
Sawant addressed criticism about the alliance strategy. He explained that seats were offered to Vanchit alliance partners, but candidates were unavailable in some areas. This situation led to friendly contests in several wards. The spokesperson suggested that better planning from both sides could have produced better results.
Broader Political Landscape
The BMC election results revealed significant shifts in Mumbai's political landscape. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, gaining control of the financially important civic body. This development ended nearly three decades of control by Uddhav Thackeray's family.
Other parties achieved varying degrees of success:
- Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) won 29 seats
- Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 65 seats in alliance with MNS
- MNS won six seats independently
- Smaller parties including AIMIM, NCP, and Samajwadi Party also won representation
The results reflect broader political trends across Maharashtra. The BJP-led Mahayuti coalition consolidated its dominance in key urban centers. Meanwhile, the opposition MVA alliance struggled to make significant gains in these important municipal elections.
The internal conflict within the Mumbai Congress unit highlights the challenges facing the party after its electoral setback. The demand for leadership change and subsequent disciplinary action indicates deepening factional divisions. These developments occur as the party attempts to rebuild its organizational strength in India's financial capital.
