Congress mulls contesting solo in BMC polls 2022, says 'no need for coalition with Sena'

Gearing up for the 2022 civic polls in Mumbai, Congress leader Ravi Raja on Thursday, has said that the grand old party has no coalition for the polls as of now. Aiming to elect a Congress mayor, Raja said that a call on coalition with its 'Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance' allies - Shiv Sena and NCP will be taken up by the High command. Currently, the ruling party - Shiv Sena holds the mayor's post with 84 seats in 227-seat corporation.

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Congress: 'No coalition needed'

"Whatever decision will be taken regarding the election of the upcoming Mumbai Metropolitan Municipality, the High Command will take the decision. It is our endeavor to be the Mayor of the Congress in the Municipal Corporation. We do not have any alliance in BMC," he said.

BMC Mayor polls: Who will head India's richest civic body, amid 'Sena-BJP' fallout?

Mayor polls 2019

In November 2019, Sena won both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor polls in Mumbai Mayor polls, retaining India's richest civic body -Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Shiv Sena's Kishori Pednekar and Suhas Wadkar won the Mayor and Deputy Mayor post on November 22, after BJP's Ashish Shelar bowed out of the race. Shiv Sena has controlled the BMC  since 1985.

In 2017, the former allies BJP-Sena had bitterly fought the civic elections separately. Later the BJP had voted in favour of Shiv Sena corporator Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, whose term has ended in September, but was extended to November due to state Assembly polls. Currently, Shiv Sena has 84 seats, BJP had 82 seats, NCP has 6 corporators and Congress has 30 corporators.

Mumbai Mayor polls: BJP's Ashish Shelar pulls out of race amid fallout with Shiv Sena

Sena-BJP fallout

Prior to separating at the civic level, the saffron allies fell out with the  Sena insisting an equal sharing of CM post for 2.5 years and portfolios, which was refused by BJP. Irking the Shiv Sena which was in talks with NCP and Congress to form the government, Fadnavis had unsuccessfully partnered with Ajit Pawar to be sworn-in as Maharashtra CM for mere 72 hours. Ajit Pawar rescinded his support after the Supreme Court ordered an open ballot floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly immediately, leading to Fadnavis and Pawar's resignation.  Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra on November 28, leading to Shiv Sena allying with NCP and Congress at BMC level- giving it a comfortable majority of 130 seats in the  Rs 30,692 crore-rich civic body.

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