Varsha Gaikwad replaces Bhai Jagtap; becomes first female prez of Mumbai Cong

Known for her fiery speeches, Gaikwad also represents the economically backward community of the party. The four-term MLA represents the Dharavi assembly constituency from where she made her political debut back in 2004 and is still undefeated

Mumbai: Ahead of the crucial civic body polls, the Congress party not only decided to change its face in the city but also create history by appointing Dharavi legislator Varsha Gaikwad as the first female president of Mumbai Congress. Gaikwad replaced Bhai Jagtap who was helming the position since December 19, 2020.

Mumbai, India - July 17, 2017: Opposition party members outside Vidhan sabha during the Presidential election in Mumbai, India, on Monday, July 17, 2017. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

On March 23, HT reported that Jagtap would be removed from the position and Gaikwad was one of the contenders for the top Congress post in the city.

Known for her fiery speeches, Gaikwad also represents the economically backward community of the party. The four-term MLA represents the Dharavi assembly constituency from where she made her political debut back in 2004 and is still undefeated. She was also a minister in the Congress-NCP government as well as the MVA governments.

Gaikwad, however, will have plenty of challenges for her as she takes over the reins of the party in the city where it was founded over a century ago.

She will have to ensure the party’s performance in the crucial elections —Mumbai civic polls, Lok Sabha and state assembly — that is going to be held in the next year or so.

Citing an example of Karnataka state assembly polls in which Congress defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party, she said that the election results show that the people still believe in Congress, “We will have to see how to channelise the Congress’ wave.”

The 48-year-old leader has held several portfolios in the successive Congress-NCP government in the past. She was minister of state for higher and technical education and within a year was promoted to cabinet minister with the crucial women and child development department. In the erstwhile MVA government, she was the school education minister.

As far as Jagtap is concerned, the Congress leadership was upset with him. It was believed he had failed to utilise the opportunity entrusted to him more than two years ago. All this was started when Chandrakant Handore, the first choice of candidate for the party, was defeated in the legislative council polls held in June 2022. Jagtap, who was the second choice for the polls, won the elections, leading to embarrassment for the party.

His ouster is believed to have been confirmed after newly elected Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge flew down to Mumbai to celebrate the party’s foundation day on December 28, 2022. The event saw poor response with the ground visibly empty when Kharge was addressing the gathering leading to another embarrassment for the leadership, said insiders.