Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap wants Congress to go solo for 2022 BMC polls

Newly appointed Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap on Sunday said the Congress should go solo in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections to be held in 2022. His statement came despite the fact that the Congress is a part of the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) along with the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

“As the president of the Mumbai Congress, I am of the firm opinion that the Congress should contest all 227 seats in the BMC,” said Jagtap. “Even when we were in power for 15 years in an alliance with the NCP [1999-2014], we always fought the BMC polls independently and this should be followed even now,” he said.

The top leaders in the MVA government have been advocating that all three parties should fight the elections for all local bodies together to defeat the BJP.

Eknath Gaikwad, who was replaced by Jagtap as the Mumbai Congress chief, however wanted all MVA partners to fight unitedly. “We can fight the polls under the banner of the MVA. When we are running the state government under the MVA, we can also fight the polls under this banner. When I will be asked my opinion, I will give my view. However, currently I cannot take this decision. Bhai Jagtap has to take this decision, which has to be endorsed by the Congress high command,” said Gaikwad.

Currently, the Shiv Sena is in power in the BMC and the Congress is functioning as the main Opposition party. The BJP is determined to dislodge the Sena and has started the preparation through ‘Mission Mumbai’. Kandivli legislator Atul Bhatkalkar has been appointed the head of this mission.