'Congress to go alone in BMC': Vijay Wadettiwar

Asked whether the Congress high-command had okayed it, Wadettiwar said: 'The high-command has asked the local units to take a call on the alliance for the local bodies elections.'

Mumbai: The Congress has decided to go alone in the elections to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) - a development that has created a sort of confection within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, the opposition alliance in which differences have emerged over the possible entry of Raj Thackeray-led MNS.

The indications that Congress will go alone in Mumbai came from Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar, an ex minister and two-time former Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Assembly.

“Our leaders in the BMC have decided that they will go alone in the elections in Mumbai,” Wadettiwar said.

Asked whether the Congress high-command had okayed it, he said: “The high-command has asked the local units to take a call on the alliance for the local bodies elections.”

About seat-sharing, Wadettiwar said: “Our local unit has decided to go alone…so who and how many seats do not arise (among the MVA).”

It may be mentioned, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) has pitched for MNS entry in the MVA, however, Congress is opposed to it though Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) is okay with it.

The State Election Commission has announced the schedule for elections to nagar panchayats (town panchayats) and nagar parishads (municipal councils), however, the plan for the municipal corporations, zilla parishads and panchayat samitis are to be declared.

With Raj and Uddhav burying their differences of two decades, there are chances of Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS in the urban pockets of the State particularly in the municipal corporations like Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Nashik.

A section of the Congress leadership has also flagged the issue of Raj's close bonding with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who calls the shots for the BJP and the MNS president’s stand and statements on North Indian migrants and Muslims.