Congress Approaches Ambedkar For BMC Alliance

According to party sources, the VBA chief has asked the Congress to constitute a committee to negotiate seat-sharing arrangements. In response, the Congress has decided to form a panel comprising senior MLA Amin Patel, AICC secretary and chief spokesperson Sachin Sawant, and party leader Madhu Chavan. The committee is expected to hold detailed discussions with the VBA in the coming days to finalise a seat-sharing agreement.

In the 2017 BMC elections, the Congress had won 31 seats. However, only 17 of those former corporators remain with the party, while several others, including then group leader Ravi Raja, later joined the BJP and other ruling parties. In the 2012 civic polls, the Congress had secured 52 seats.

With its electoral presence in Mumbai steadily declining over the past 15 years, the Congress is making concerted efforts to consolidate secular votes, particularly among minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The attempt to forge alliances with like-minded parties is being viewed as part of this broader political strategy.

In a post on X, Mumbai Congress president and Lok Sabha member Varsha Gaikwad said, “A Congress delegation led by AICC Mumbai in-charge @ubvmlc met Prakash Ambedkar ji in Mumbai to discuss the upcoming Mumbai Mahanagarpalika elections. The meeting saw an exchange of views on civic governance, key urban challenges, and the need for inclusive development that genuinely serves the people of Mumbai.”

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr. Sawant said the discussions with Mr. Ambedkar were positive. “We will hold a second round of talks with the VBA on Monday to discuss seat-sharing,” he said.