In a significant political move, the Indian National Congress declared on Saturday that it will contest the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections independently. This decision, which underscores growing fissures within the opposition alliance in Maharashtra, was confirmed by senior party leader Ramesh Chennithala.
Congress Stands Alone for Mumbai's Civic Battle
Speaking to the ANI news agency, Ramesh Chennithala stated that the party is fully prepared for the upcoming polls. "We are all ready for the BMC elections. I have come to attend the meeting… Congress has taken a decision to contest the elections alone," Chennithala said. This announcement marks a clear departure from the collaborative strategy of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the state-level coalition comprising the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
The Thackeray Rapprochement and Its Implications
The Congress's solo plunge comes against the backdrop of one of Mumbai's most striking pre-poll developments: the warming relationship between Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray. Once fierce adversaries, the cousins now find common ground in the belief that losing control of Mumbai would critically weaken the broader Thackeray political legacy.
For Uddhav Thackeray, securing the BMC is viewed as a final major opportunity to reclaim political relevance following the devastating split in the Shiv Sena in 2022. For Raj Thackeray, the election is being positioned as a fight to protect Marathi identity, with the MNS styling itself as the guardian of Mumbai's linguistic and cultural character. Although a formal pact is yet to be announced, the Sena (UBT) and the MNS are widely expected to declare an alliance for the BMC polls in the coming week.
Electoral Calendar and Political Context
The timing of these maneuvers is critical. Polling for the BMC's 227 seats, along with 28 other municipal corporations, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis across Maharashtra, is scheduled for January 15. The results will be declared on January 16.
This electoral battle follows a major setback for the MVA in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, where the coalition suffered heavy losses to the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, which secured a landslide victory. The Congress's decision to go it alone in Mumbai's civic body polls signals a potential realignment and introspection within the opposition ranks, setting the stage for a high-stakes, multi-cornered contest in the country's financial capital.
