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Uddhav faction leader Anand Dubey said the Congress had lost touch with voters and failed to build a sustained grassroots presence.
Civic Poll Setback Triggers Uddhav Sena–Congress War of Words
A day after suffering a crushing defeat in the Maharashtra civic polls, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena trained its guns at the Congress. Leaders from the Uddhav group mocked their ally, calling the Congress a “tourist party” that appears only during election season.
Uddhav faction leader Anand Dubey said the Congress contests the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections every time but has remained in the opposition for the last 30 years. He claimed the party shows little presence on the ground except when polls are due.
Dubey said the Congress had lost touch with voters and failed to build a sustained grassroots presence. According to him, the party becomes visible only when elections approach, with posters and banners suddenly appearing across cities. He argued that this approach had cost the Congress dearly in the civic polls and weakened the opposition alliance.
Mahayuti’s big victory in civic polls
The remarks came after the ruling Mahayuti alliance swept the Maharashtra civic polls held on December 21, 2025. The alliance won a dominant share of municipal president posts, securing between 207 and 218 out of 288 positions across 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats. In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) managed only 44 to 47 posts.
The BJP emerged as the single largest winner, bagging between 117 and 129 municipal president posts. Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde won 51 to 53, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP secured 33 to 37 posts. The Congress managed only 35, while the Uddhav Sena won just 6 to 8.
The BJP dominated regions like Vidarbha and Marathwada, winning clear majorities in councils such as Barshi and Badlapur. The MVA managed to hold on to a few pockets, including Brahmapuri, where the Congress won 21 of 23 seats. However, in many places, multi-cornered contests split opposition votes and helped the Mahayuti.
Maharashtra, India, India
December 22, 2025, 14:20 IST
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