The Mumbai unit of the Congress party launched a scathing attack on the ruling Mahayuti alliance on Friday, releasing a detailed 'chargesheet' that catalogues alleged corruption and administrative failures within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The document targets the period of the past three years and nine months during which the civic body has been run by an appointed administrator due to the absence of elected corporators.
Allegations of Plunder and Mismanagement
Unveiling the chargesheet at an event in Valmiki Nagar, Bandra East, Mumbai Congress president and Member of Parliament Varsha Gaikwad accused the ruling coalition of systematically plundering the city's resources. She asserted that the lack of an elected body in the BMC allowed the Mahayuti government to operate without any public accountability, leading to widespread mismanagement.
The key allegations listed in the Congress document include:
- The deliberate depletion of the BMC's financial reserves by draining its fixed deposits.
- Severely deteriorated road conditions across the city, with persistent potholes and worsening traffic congestion.
- A significant rise in air pollution coupled with gross mismanagement of solid waste.
- The controversial handover of municipal schools to private entities and the sale of public land.
- A lack of transparency in high-budget infrastructure projects, including the Mithi River development initiative.
"The Mahayuti has looted Mumbaikars through the administration. Basic facilities are non-existent today," Gaikwad stated. She further claimed, "The city is being sold off to favoured contractors and industrialists, leading to the ruin of the country’s financial capital. The BMC has essentially become a 'Corrupt Mahayuti Corporation'."
A Call for Issue-Based Elections and Potential Alliances
Gaikwad emphasized that the upcoming BMC elections, whenever they are held, must be contested on the basis of tangible civic issues rather than divisive lines of caste, religion, or language. "Mumbaikars do not want communal disputes, they want development," she remarked. Outlining the party's priorities, she added, "Our focus is on water, health, education, and public transport."
The Congress leader also announced that her party will soon release its own comprehensive manifesto for Mumbai, detailing its vision for the city's governance. When questioned about electoral strategy, Gaikwad confirmed that discussions are actively underway with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and other like-minded political parties to form a coalition. A final decision on these alliances is expected to be announced in the near future.
The Context of Administrator-Led Rule
The political controversy stems from the extended period of administrator-led rule in India's richest municipal corporation. The BMC has been without its elected council since early 2022, when the term of the previous corporators ended. Since then, the state government-appointed municipal commissioner and additional municipal commissioners have been exercising all administrative and financial powers.
The Congress chargesheet frames this period as one of unchecked exploitation, arguing that the absence of elected representatives removed a crucial layer of oversight and public grievance redressal. The party's move is seen as an attempt to set the narrative and corner the ruling state alliance on civic issues ahead of the much-anticipated civic polls.
