Mumbai, Jan 16: Even as the numbers do not fully support its claim, the Maharashtra Congress has asserted that it will secure mayoral positions in five cities and share power in 10 of the 29 municipal corporations.
The party appeared buoyant following the municipal council elections held last month, in which it claimed to have won over 1,000 seats and the presidentship of 41 councils with the support of local allies and independents.
State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said the party’s candidates had won around 350 seats across 29 civic bodies. He claimed the Congress would emerge as the second-largest party overall.
Mixed performance across cities
While the party performed poorly in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Vasai-Virar, Panvel, Ichalkaranji, Jalgaon, Ahilyanagar, Dhule and Malegaon, it registered comfortable victories in Latur and Chandrapur, and emerged as the largest party in Kolhapur. The Congress is also hopeful of sharing power in Parbhani, where Shiv Sena (UBT) has won the maximum number of seats.
Struggles continue after Assembly setback
Struggling to engineer a revival, the Congress continues to grapple with a deep crisis following the recent state Assembly elections, in which it managed to win just 16 seats. Despite being a key partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the party had decided to go solo in several major cities, including Mumbai.
As of Friday evening, the party had secured only 22 seats in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
Leadership challenge ahead
If the Congress succeeds in winning five mayoral posts and sharing power in 10 civic bodies, it could provide the party with a starting point for revival. However, what appears to be lacking is the active participation of frontline leadership and a collective effort.
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Some senior leaders have reportedly not accepted Sapkal as their leader. Once home to a strong bench of towering leaders, the Congress is now desperately searching for a figure with pan-Maharashtra appeal.
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