MUMBAI: As a direct fall-out of the Bihar Assembly election results, the Samajwadi Party (SP) announced on Wednesday (November 19) in Mumbai that the party will contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections in Maharashtra independently and will not form any alliance.
Party leader Abu Asim Azmi criticised the Congress party for betraying them at the last minute and changing decisions, alleging that Congress does nothing for minorities and suffers from arrogance and lack of leadership. The Samajwadi Party plans to field candidates on approximately 150 of the 227 BMC seats. The decision to contest solo was made after consulting the party leadership, he said.
Azmi’s sharp attack on Congress included accusations of double standards and failure to support minority communities. He emphasized the Samajwadi Party’s commitment to communal harmony and declared the party’s firm stance against forming electoral alliances with Congress or Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) members in both the Maharashtra local body polls scheduled for December 2 and Mumbai BMC elections likely to be held around mid-January next year.
Mahayuti alliance confirms united front for BMC polls
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Minister and BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule confirmed that the Mahayuti alliance, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, will contest the Mumbai BMC elections together, aiming to secure a two-thirds majority and 51 per cent vote share. The alliance expects independent BJP candidates to withdraw nominations in favor of official party nominees. Polling of local body polls will take place on December 2, with vote counting on December 3 in the next month.
Political landscape in Maharashtra ahead of BMC elections
The Samajwadi Party’s decision to go solo deals a major blow to the MVA, consisting of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP). Other players include the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), likely contesting alongside Shiv Sena (UBT) in some councils. The elections promise intense competition, with multiple parties positioning themselves independently amidst shifting alliances and political realignments in Maharashtra’s largest civic body.
Discover more from Opinion Today
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Leave a Reply