Congress to go solo in upcoming BMC polls: Mumbai unit chief Jagtap

The Congress, an ally of the Shiv Sena and the NCP in Maharashtra, will contest on all seats in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the party's city unit president, Bhai Jagtap, asserted on Tuesday.

He said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was to address party workers this month, but could not do so due to the coronavirus pandemic, will hold a rally during the BMC polls due in early 2022. The Mumbai Congress will contest the upcoming Mumbai municipal corporation elections on all 236 seats on its own and will once again fly the (Congress flag) tricolour over the BMC, he said at an event held on the occasion of the 137th foundation day of the Congress here. Jagtap, who is also a legislator, gave an election call on the occasion, 'Hum Pura Ladenge Aur Jitenge' (we will contest on all seats and win). Earlier too, the Congress had announced to go solo in the BMC polls. The Sonia Gandhi-led party is a constituent of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in the state, which is led by the Shiv Sena and also comprises the NCP. Once a dominant party in India's richest civic body, the Congress has been relegated to number three position in the city after the Shiv Sena and the BJP. The Shiv Sena currently rules the BMC, whose annual budget of more than Rs 30,000 crore is bigger than budget of some smaller states in the country.