Mumbai civic polls: Congress decides to go solo as rift in MVA widens

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Maharashtra, Ramesh Chennithala.

The Congress has decided to go solo in the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of Maharashtra, Ramesh Chennithala, said on Saturday.

He asserted that the party would soon release both a manifesto and a chargesheet targeting alleged corruption and governance failures in Mumbai.

“We discussed the preparations for the elections. These are local body elections and they are fought at the local level. We are preparing a chargesheet on the corruption that has taken place, and we will also be releasing our manifesto soon,” Chennithala said.

“The question is, who is responsible for this? Mumbai has not developed in the way it should have. People know what has happened and what has not,” he added.

The Congress’s announcement to go solo in the civic body polls comes amid heightened political activity in Maharashtra ahead of key civic polls. The state is currently witnessing the counting of votes for municipal councils and nagar panchayats, elections that are widely seen as a bellwether for upcoming municipal corporation contests, including the high-stakes BMC election.

In the 2017 BMC poll, the Congress had won 31 seats, but only 17 former corporators are still with the party, while others including group leader Ravi Raja have crossed over to the BJP and other ruling parties. In the 2012 polls, Congress had secured 52 seats.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray visited party offices in Bhandup, Govandi, Kurla, Byculla and Tardeo on Saturday, ahead of the upcoming poll. Raj and his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray are expected to announce their alliance for the civic polls in the next few days.

Polling for BMC's 29 municipal corporations, 32 zilla parishads and 336 panchayat samitis will be held on January 15, with results to be declared the following day on January 16.