Mumbai: The Congress party's Mumbai unit announced that it is preparing to contest the Mumbai Municipal Corporation election on its own strength and is set to field candidates on all 227 seats. This announcement comes day after the Congress Party faced defeat in the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025. With the stance to run solo, there is also a sign of a possible strain within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The announcement by the Mumbai Congress was made during the one-day 'Lakshya 2026' camp that was organised in Malad on November 15. Elections to the BMC, the richest civic body in the country, are likely to be held in January 2026.
What Did Congress Leaders Say?
During the event, Mumbai Congress President and MP Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad, All India Congress Committee General Secretary and Maharashtra in-charge MLA Ramesh Chennithala made their address and called on party workers to resolve to “unfurl the Congress flag in the BMC.”
While addressing the workers, Gaikwad said, “We must ensure the election of Congress corporators… prepare for all 227 seats. Hoisting the victorious flag over the Mumbai Municipal Corporation is the Congress party's goal, the corrupt administration of the ruling Mahayuti in BMC.”
During her address, she also mentioned that earlier in the day, when reporters asked Chennithala if the party would go it alone in the BMC polls, he had maintained that such decisions were left to the local units. However, she said, “We have conveyed to him (Chennithala) that Congress leaders and workers want to go alone, along with like-minded parties and groups.”
In a press release later released by the party on X (Formerly Twitter), it wrote, as clarified by All India Congress Committee General Secretary and Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, the Congress party will contest the BMC polls on its own strength.
Rift Within MVA Due To Thackeray Alliance?
The Congress’s stand to go solo has come amid the possibility of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader, Raj Thackeray, joining hands for the civic elections.
Reports by PTI stated that a section of the Congress party is opposed to including Raj Thackeray in any alliance because of his strong stance against North Indian migrants.
When Did Congress, Sena Form Alliance?
The Congress aligned with its long-time rival, Shiv Sena, in 2019 to form the MVA, along with the NCP. The split in the Shiv Sena and NCP in 2022 and 2023 saw their rival factions ally with the ruling BJP.
Can Congress Run Solo In The Upcoming Polls? What Does Past Poll Results Say?
In the Lok Sabha Polls in 2024, the Congress could only manage to get two of the six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai. While in the state Assembly election, it managed to win 10 out of 36 assembly seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) having an upper hand in the seat-sharing. Not just this, even in the recent Bihar Election, the party managed to win just six seats.
Sena UBT Reacts To Congress' Solo Stand In BMC Polls
A Sena (UBT) leader and former Mayor Kishori Pednekar said that Congress leaders should reflect on their overall decline in the Bihar Assembly Elections. Despite this setback, if they still choose to contest elections independently, no one can stop them. Further adding, she said that, "their superiors can stop them," as quoted by Loksatta.
"Those who are deciding to contest the elections on their own may think it is right. But the big question is whether they, as the party chief, think it is right," she said.
