BJP’s Ashish Shelar ridiculed Congress for declaring it will contest all 227 BMC seats alone, questioning whether the party has “leaders, workers or votes” left.
NCP (SP) said Congress going solo would split opposition votes and effectively benefit the BJP in Mumbai.
Congress insists it will “unfurl its flag” in the BMC, signalling a break from relying on MVA/INDI bloc ally Shiv Sena (UBT).
Ashish Shelar, a BJP leader and minister from Maharashtra, ridiculed the Congress's declaration that it would fight the Mumbai civic elections alone on Saturday and questioned whether the grand old party had the courage or support to make such a move.
Varsha Gaikwad, the president of the Mumbai Congress, had earlier in the day urged party officials to "unfurl the Congress flag in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation" and "prepare for all 227 seats". In front of Maharashtra Congress head Harshwardhan Sapkal and AICC general secretary Ramesh Chennithala, Gaikwad made the declaration.
"Does the Congress have the guts to go solo in the BMC elections? Are there any leaders, party workers or even votes left for the Congress?" Shelar asked while speaking to reporters.
"One needs courage to fight elections independently, and it remains to be seen whether the Congress possesses it. The Congress's image has been weakened, and it lacks the strength to take such a stand," added Shelar, a BJP MLA from the metropolis.
Shelar responded that the Mumbai Congress had always run against the Sena in civic elections when asked about the Congress's announcement that it will run without allying with its MVA and INDI bloc ally, the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Amol Matele, a spokesman for the NCP (SP), claimed that the Congress's action would divide opposition votes and eventually help the BJP.
"The Congress on its own? Then it is Diwali for the BJP in Mumbai. By splitting votes, who are they (Congress) trying to benefit?" Matele questioned.
To defeat the BJP-led Mahayuti, he continued, the opposition alliance should fight the Mumbai civic elections together.
After the (undivided) Shiv Sena severed its long-standing alliance with the BJP due to a dispute over sharing the chief ministership, the Maha Vikas Aghadi was established in late 2019. In order to form a government that lasted till June 2022, Uddhav Thackeray joined forces with the Congress and the (undivided) NCP led by Sharad Pawar.
