After announcing solo status, Cong eyes tie-ups with NCP (SP), smaller allies

The development comes at a time when Pawar has already advised the Congress not to be adamant about not joining hands with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Congress insiders claimed that Pawar was upbeat about forging an alliance with the party

MUMBAI: Days after declaring that it would contest the BMC elections on its own, the Mumbai Congress now wants to tie up with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and other smaller allies. On Monday, city Congress president Varsha Gaikwad and senior leaders met the NCP (SP) president and expressed this desire.

After announcing solo status, Cong eyes tie-ups with NCP (SP), smaller allies

The development comes at a time when Pawar has already advised the Congress not to be adamant about not joining hands with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Congress insiders claimed that Pawar was upbeat about forging an alliance with the party.

Gaikwad said that the Congress’ discussions with the NCP (SP) were underway. “Pawar’s NCP has always been our ally, and it is our heartfelt desire to continue this alliance in the near future (BMC polls),” she told reporters after the meeting. Gaikwad had already had a meeting with NCP (SP) Mumbai president Rakhi Jadhav on this, which she conveyed to Pawar during the meeting. “He asked us to organise another meeting by next week, and we will take a decision together,” she said. “We are of the view that the unity of Mumbai should remain intact and the elections should be fought on issues faced by the city.”

At the same time, Gaikwad made it clear that the Congress would not join forces with the MNS even when their Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance partner, the Shiv Sena (UBT) was set to team up with it. Without naming any of the parties, she said that whenever the Congress had formed an alliance, it had done so based on a common minimum program. “However, now the party believes that the BMC elections should be fought only with like-minded parties,” she said.

Underlining this sentiment, the Mumbai Congress chief said that people from all parts of the country lived in Mumbai and everyone had contributed to the city’s development. “The Congress cannot go with those who take the law into their own hands or those who indulge in coercion,” she emphasised, indirectly referring to the periodic MNS violence against the North Indian community in Mumbai and surrounding areas.

Responding to a question about the MNS in the alliance, she said that if Uddhav and Raj decided to get together, it would be welcomed, but the Congress had not discussed anything about being part of their coalition.

Congress insiders said they were in talks with other smaller parties such as the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Republican Party of India (Gavai) among others. “The discussions are at a very primary stage,” a Congress leader revealed. The Congress and undivided NCP contested the last BMC elections in 2017 separately. The Congress won only 31 seats and the NCP scored even less at nine seats.

When contacted, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said that the meeting was a preliminary one. “It has been decided to have another meeting by next week,” she said. “We are always open to supporting and cooperating with whatever is in the interest of Maharashtra and Mumbai.”