In Mumbai, Congress did not stand up to Sena (UBT), feel local leaders

With the Sena (UBT) on the backfoot after the split, the Congress has missed an opportunity in our negotiations with them: a senior Congress leader

Mumbai: The Congress leadership has been accused of failing to stand up to its ally, the Sena Shiv (UBT), in negotiations over seat sharing. Local leaders and the rank and file say the party has come up short – way too short – in Mumbai.

Party insiders said city Congress leaders like Varsha Gaikwad safeguarded their own interests by getting the seats they were plumping for. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

According to an understanding between the three constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Sena (UBT) has cornered 21 seats, while the Congress has ended up with just 10 seats, of a total of 36.

Congress workers blame their senior leadership of buckling under pressure from their alliance partner as they believed they would bag at least 18 seats in their pact with the Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP).

The rank and file also accused their leaders of picking the wrong candidates in many constituencies, further diminishing their prospects in the country’s financial capital, and the city in which the Congress was born 137 years ago. To register their protest, a few office-bearers from Mumbai staged a protest outside the Mumbai Congress office on Sunday.

Of the 10 seats it has been given, the Congress has announced candidates in 9 constituencies. It is expected to announce its candidate for Colaba on Monday.

The Congress had been eyeing Vandre East, Versova, Byculla and Colaba but all three have been claimed by the Sena (UBT). “We have been fighting the Sena for years in Mumbai, even in the municipal elections, and dominated the polls until a few years ago. Mumbai was a Sena stronghold until the party split. With the Sena (UBT) on the backfoot after the split, the Congress has missed an opportunity in our negotiations with them,” said a senior Congress leader.

City Congress leaders including Varsha Gaikwad, Aslam Shaikh and Arif Naseem Khan safeguarded their own interests by getting the seats they were plumping for, and securing an assurance of support from the Sena (UBT), but they failed to negotiate for more seats. “The leaders have been submissive since the negotiations began,” added the senior party leader.

Another insider said Congress leaders didn’t even put up a fight for Vandre East, where they have a sitting MLA. Moreover, party leaders also conceded seats where Congress candidates had come in second to the Sena (UBT) in the previous election. “They didn’t even ask for Goregaon, where the Congress had stood second,” the party leader said.

The Congress city leadership has also been accused of failing to field the right candidates in many constituencies. “For instance, in Vandre West, Rajesh Sharma was a better bet than Asif Zakaria. Also, our candidate in Andheri West, Sachin Sawant, has backed out after being nominated from the constituency. The party finally fielded former MLA Ashok Jadhav, but the goof-up did irreparable damage to the party’s prospects in the constituency,” said the party leader.

Had he accepted the nomination, Sawant, a Congress general secretary, would have been pitted against the BJP’s Ameet Satam. Sawant had been eyeing the Vandre East constituency and had set up an office there a few months ago. Party leaders say that fielding a candidate who did not want a particular seat is a significant failure by the Congress. Sawant said, “I have requested the party leadership to give it a second thought because there is a lot of resistance from local party leaders.”

The party insider also claimed that Congress candidates fielded in Kandivali and Charkop will not be able to put up a strong fight. “Party leaders like Aslam Shaikh and Amin Patel were insisting on seats like Versova (where Aslam wanted his son-in-law to contest) and Byculla, and were very insistent in the initial discussions. Later, they gave in quite easily.”

Sena (UBT) leader Sushama Andhare said, “We are contesting more seats in Mumbai as part of the understanding between the three alliance partners. The Sena (UBT) gave up many constituencies in Nanded, Latur and Beed in favour of our two allies despite having won seats there in 2019. This is because our common goal is to defeat the BJP. It’s no different in Mumbai as we have a better chance of winning than the Congress as our candidates have better elective merit. This has been the formula agreed upon by the leaders of all three parties.”

Meanwhile, the NCP (SP) has announced candidates from two constituencies, including Mankhurd-Shivajinagar, where it has fielded its sitting MLA, Abu Asim Azmi. The opposition Mahayuti alliance is expected to concede this seat to the Samajwadi Party. The MVA is undecided on Borivali and Mulund constituencies.

In 2 seats, it’s MVA versus MVA

With fresh lists announced, the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s alliance partners find themselves pitted against each other in at least two constituencies. In Solapur South, the Congress has fielded Dilip Mane, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) had already announced Amar Patil as its candidate. In Paranda, the seat will be contested by both the Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), as the former has announced Ranjit Patil as its candidate, while Rahul Mote represents the latter party.

Meanwhile, the Congress has replaced two of its candidates. Sachin Sawant has expressed his inability to contest from Andheri West in Mumbai. Former MLA Ashok Jadhav has taken his place. In Aurangabad East, the party has replaced Manohar Deshmukh with Lahu Shewale.

The Congress has also announced the candidature of Bhagirath Bhalke, son of former MLA Bharat Bhalke from Pandharpur; Dattatrey Bahirat from Shivajinagar; and Sandeep Pandey from Nalasopara. Abdul Sattar Abdul Gafur is the party’s candidate from Nanded North; Pravin Kakade from Warora; Santoshsing Rawat from Ballarpur; Pravin Padwekar from Chandrapur; Ramdas Masram from Armori; Sanjay Meshram from Umred; and Anil Shinde from Amalner.