BMC Polls: After Bihar Debacle, ‘Ekla Chalo’ Mood Dominates Mumbai Congress | Exclusive | Elections News

Senior party leaders have confirmed that Saturday’s one-day camp — chaired by Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala — is expected to take a final decision on the long-pending demand for a solo fight. (Image: PTI File)

Amid growing internal pressure and shifting political equations in Maharashtra, the Mumbai Congress appears closer than ever to declaring that it will contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on its own. Senior party leaders have confirmed that Saturday’s one-day camp — chaired by Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala — is expected to take a final decision on the long-pending demand for a solo fight.

For weeks, several influential leaders within the Mumbai Congress have publicly and privately pushed the high command to allow the party to rebuild its organisational strength by contesting independently. According to highly placed sources, the Bihar election setback has further strengthened the argument that the Congress must reclaim lost political space in key urban centres like Mumbai rather than rely on alliances.

The mood in the city unit has been leaning heavily towards ‘Ekla Chalo’ — a call many leaders believe is essential for the party’s revival. Leaders say the BMC election provides a rare opening for the Congress to reconnect with its traditional voter base and reassert its identity, something they feel has been diluted within the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA).

What has added another layer of complexity is the speculation around both Thackeray brothers — Uddhav and Raj — warming up to the Marathi identity plank, triggering discussions on whether the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) could be brought into the MVA fold. But several senior Mumbai Congress leaders have categorically opposed this idea, arguing that aligning with the MNS would alienate key voter segments and disrupt the Congress’ ideological positioning.

This resistance within the Mumbai Congress has now directly fed into the growing clamour for a solo contest. Many leaders believe that contesting more seats independently will give the party the political breathing room it needs to revive cadre enthusiasm and rebuild its municipal influence.

Saturday’s camp will see the presence of city unit chief Varsha Gaikwad along with prominent leaders including Aslam Shaikh, Amin Patel, Naseem Khan, Bhai Jagtap and Charan Singh Sapra. The session is expected to be dominated by internal assessments, the impact of the Bihar results, and the long-term implications for the MVA.

From critics point of views, especially after major defeat which Congress party has received in Bihar, it’s evident that party has lost the ground and voter bases in state like Bihar, hence if they are planning to go solo in Mumbai for upcoming BMC elections, convincing non-Maharashtrian voters will be a big task for the party.

While no official announcement has been made yet, senior insiders say the momentum is clearly in favour of going solo — and with Chennithala in Mumbai, the high command may finally seal the decision today.