BMC: Cong spurns NCP, ties up with RPI faction

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, January 17

The Congress has effectively shut the door on aligning with the Nationalist Congress Party for next months's Mumbai municipal elections. It has instead tied up with the Republican Party of India faction led by Prof Jogendra Kapade.

Rejecting a plea by NCP leaders for a tie-up, Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam and Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan said Sharad Pawar's outfit did not enjoy much clout in Mumbai and the party could never perform in seats allotted to it in the past elections.

“The party high command has agreed to our demand to contest the BMC elections alone,” Nirupam told reporters here today.

Congress leaders privately admit that the Pawars were “never trustworthy” allies and often worked against the candidates of the grand old party even after aligning with it. On the other hand, they say, Pawar used his immense clout with Congress leaders to ensure that the NCP had a free run in the seats allotted to it.

Kicking off its solo campaign, the Congress has come up with some innovative ideas like organising street plays to, what it says, expose the corruption of the BJP and the Shiv Sena combine. Last November's demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 rupee notes has also forced the Congress to come up with street corner campaigns as opposed to the large rallies organised in the past, say sources.

Meanwhile, the NCP has begun to declare candidates for the 227 seats in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The party announced that Supriya Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar, will also begin campaigning for the party's candidates in the city.