2022 BMC polls: Mumbai Congress to launch 100-day programme from February 6

Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the Mumbai Congress will launch a 100-day outreach drive starting February 6, to interact with citizens in all 227 electoral wards of the civic body

Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the Mumbai Congress will launch a 100-day outreach drive starting February 6, to interact with citizens in all 227 electoral wards of the civic body. According to party leaders, the drive is aimed at presenting the vision of the Congress for the city and offering solutions to the citizens.

The Congress said it would involve all its active party workers across the city for the drive. (Hindustan Times)

The BMC, which is considered to be India’s richest civic body, is expected to have polls in February 2022. The civic body is currently dominated by the Shiv Sena, whose corporators hold 97 of the total 227 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 83 corporators; the Congress has 29; NCP has eight; six are from the Samajwadi Party (SP); two from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), and one from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

“The drive is aimed at talking with citizens, knowing their problems, understanding them and giving solutions. We will give our vision document for each ward to the citizens,” said Ravi Raja, Congress corporator from Sion and leader of opposition in the BMC.

“There is no one particular solution for the problems in the entire city, but it will depend on the area… like dilapidated buildings, road, health, etc,” he added.

The Congress said it would involve all its active party workers across the city for the drive.

When asked if the programme was being planned too early before the BMC polls, Raja said, “It is nothing like early or late. This outreach programme is aimed at interacting with citizens. The actual manifestation and election campaign will be at a later stage.”

The Shiv Sena and the BJP both said their leaders have been in regular touch with the citizens.

Senior Sena corporator and former mayor Vishakha Raut said, “We are in regular touch with the citizens for their problems. Unlike the Congress, we are a cadre-based party and are always in touch with the citizens. Also, I think every political party will conduct outreach with citizens before the BMC polls… even Sena will do it.”

Vinod Mishra, BJP corporator and party leader in the BMC, said, “We have been doing door-to-door campaigns as part of our programme to collect money for the construction of the Ram temple. During this collection drive, we are also interacting with citizens, and till now we have covered around 30% of the city. Actual activities for the election campaign will also begin in the coming months.”

The Congress has maintained that as of now, it is going to fight the BMC elections independently irrespective of it being in alliance with the Shiv Sena and the NCP at the state level.

“As of now, Congress is going to fight the BMC elections on its own,” said Raja.