The political cauldron of Mumbai is simmering once again over the long-overdue, high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election. Stirring the pot, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has sent an urgent message to his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally, the Congress: unite, or risk handing over India’s richest civic body to the BJP.
A Public Appeal for a United Front
In a statement that cuts through the diplomatic niceties of alliance politics, Raut underscored the electoral arithmetic familiar to every political observer in Maharashtra. “If we want to defeat the BJP in Mumbai, all of us (MVA) have to fight together. The Congress must understand this,” he asserted. This is not just a suggestion but a public appeal born out of political compulsion, acknowledging that a fragmented opposition is the BJP’s greatest asset in the Mumbai civic polls.
Why the BMC Polls are a ‘Battle for Survival’ for Sena (UBT)
Raut’s call to action comes at a critical juncture. The BMC polls, delayed for over two years, are widely seen as a semi-final before the state assembly elections. For Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, this is more than just an election; it is a battle for survival and identity. After losing the party name and symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction, retaining control over the BMC—the Sena’s fortress for over three decades—is a matter of existential pride. A victory would be a massive morale booster and a resounding public validation of Thackeray’s leadership.
Cracks in the Alliance? Congress’s Local Ambitions Pose a Challenge
While the MVA presented a largely united front in the Lok Sabha elections, civic polls are a different beast. Local-level rivalries and seat-sharing squabbles often surface. The Mumbai Congress, in particular, has factions that have long harboured ambitions of contesting solo to reclaim lost ground. Raut’s public prodding is aimed squarely at quelling these ambitions, reminding the Congress that the principal adversary remains the formidable electoral machinery of the BJP, now allied with the Shinde-led Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP.
BJP’s Strategy: Capitalising on MVA Division
The BJP, for its part, is watching these developments with keen interest. A division in the MVA vote is precisely what their strategy hinges on. The party, led by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has made “capturing the BMC” a primary objective, viewing it as the final step in establishing dominance over Maharashtra’s political landscape. Any friction between the Sena (UBT) and Congress is a sign that their own path to power is clearing.
The Ball in Congress’s Court: Will Pragmatism Prevail?
Sanjay Raut has effectively thrown the ball into the Congress’s court. His statement serves as both a warning against the folly of internal bickering and an invitation to unite for the singular goal of keeping the BJP out of power in the BMC.
The coming weeks will reveal whether the Congress leadership heeds this call. The answer will not only decide the fate of Mumbai’s civic governance but also signal the strength and longevity of the opposition alliance in Maharashtra.
