After discussions and disagreements, Congress and Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi have announced an alliance for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The agreement entails VBA contesting 62 out of 227 seats in Mumbai, with the Congress also working on forming an alliance with Left parties in specific areas of the city.
Maharashtra Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal highlighted the historical ties between Congress and VBA, emphasizing their shared commitment to upholding constitutional values. The alliance aims to revive their past successful collaboration before 1999 when they secured a significant number of Lok Sabha seats. Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad and VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar were absent from the joint press conference due to prior engagements.
The recent municipal council and municipal panchayat elections saw both parties jointly contesting in certain districts. By partnering with VBA, the Congress seeks to strengthen its Dalit voter base across the state. Additionally, the VBA’s grassroots workers could also benefit from this alliance, as the party aims to establish a presence in urban local bodies.
VBA vice-president Dhairyavardhan Pundkar expressed mutual benefits from the alliance, suggesting that their collaboration could have prevented BJP’s advancements in Maharashtra if initiated earlier. Party spokesperson Siddharth Mokale mentioned that local VBA units have been empowered to finalize their alliances independently at the grassroots level. Addressing previous criticisms, Mokale clarified that any disagreements were ideological and not personal, indicating that the issue has been resolved.
The Congress opted to ally with VBA over the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by Raj Thackeray, as a strategic move to avoid potential backlash from North Indian voters and minorities. With MNS aligning with Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena for the BMC polls, Congress chose an independent path by joining forces with VBA.
