Mumbai Civic Polls Head for Key Direct Battles
As many as 32 of the 227 seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are set to witness a straight contest between two major alliances.
These seats will see a direct fight between the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance and the Shiv Sena (UBT)–Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) combine.
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There will be no strong third-front candidate in these wards. This situation has emerged after the Congress and its ally, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), decided not to field candidates in these seats.
Alliances Shape the BMC Electoral Landscape
For the BMC polls, the ruling Mahayuti includes the BJP and the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. On the other side, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has joined hands with Raj Thackeray’s MNS.
The two parties have said their alliance aims to protect Marathi language, culture, and identity in Mumbai.
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With the Congress-VBA alliance staying out of the contest in these 32 seats, vote division among opposition parties is unlikely. Political observers say this could significantly influence the final results in these wards.
VBA’s Candidate Shortage Leads to Seat Vacancies
Sources said the VBA faced problems while finalising candidates in Mumbai. Out of the 62 seats initially allotted to the party, it struggled to field candidates in 21 seats.
Party insiders said some aspirants lacked proper documents, while others were not considered strong enough to contest.
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Due to these challenges, the VBA informed the Congress on Tuesday morning that it would contest only five seats from its quota. It allowed the Congress to nominate candidates in the remaining 16 seats.
Congress-Led Alliance Fields Candidates in 195 Seats
The Congress has so far announced 143 candidates for the Mumbai civic elections.
With the VBA contesting 46 seats and six seats going to other allies such as Left parties and the Rashtriya Samaj Party, the Congress-led alliance has fielded candidates in a total of 195 wards.
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This arrangement has left 32 seats without any candidate from the Congress-VBA alliance, resulting in a direct two-cornered contest.
Alliance Denies Rift Amid Speculation
Some reports suggested tensions within the Congress-VBA alliance over seat sharing. However, both parties have rejected these claims.
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Mumbai Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said there was no dispute between the allies. He added that party workers and leaders were in constant coordination and that the ruling alliance was spreading rumours.
VBA spokesperson Siddharth Mokle also dismissed talk of discord. He said the Congress was informed in advance about the VBA’s decision and appropriate steps were taken.
The final picture will become clear after the scrutiny of nominations is completed, leaders said.
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