The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced its decision to fight the upcoming Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections independently. This move comes after the party's seat-sharing negotiations with the Congress-led Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition collapsed. AAP leaders have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the MVA's offer, which they found deeply disrespectful to their grassroots efforts.
Seat-Sharing Talks End in Disappointment
Discussions between AAP and the MVA alliance, which includes the Congress party, reached a deadlock over the allocation of seats for the 81-member civic body. The AAP had put forward a request for at least seven seats to contest in the KMC polls. However, the party's office-bearers stated that the message they received from the MVA indicated a willingness to allot only one or two seats to them.
Uttam Patil, a prominent AAP office-bearer, did not mince words in his reaction. He described the MVA's offer as "humiliating," especially considering the sustained work put in by the party's cadre over several years. He emphasized that AAP workers have been at the forefront, raising critical issues affecting the common citizens of Kolhapur.
A Decision to Reward Party Workers
Explaining the rationale behind the decision to go solo, Sandip Desai, the organisational secretary of AAP's Maharashtra unit, highlighted the party's commitment to its grassroots workers. He stated that AAP earned its recognition by vocally championing civic problems on the streets. The decision to contest independently is seen as a way to reward those dedicated workers with electoral opportunities.
Desai also took a veiled dig at established political parties, accusing them of perpetuating dynastic politics even while claiming that local body elections are meant for ordinary workers. "We have experienced that parties often claim local body elections are for the workers, yet on the other side, they continue to nurture dynastic politics," Desai remarked, underlining this as a key reason for parting ways with the MVA for the civic polls.
Allegations of Being "Used and Discarded"
The AAP leader further elaborated on the growing sense of disillusionment with the Congress party. Desai pointed out that AAP had worked sincerely for the INDIA alliance during the Lok Sabha elections and for the MVA in the state assembly polls. Despite this cooperation without any expectations, the Congress's attitude in the current scenario has left AAP feeling sidelined.
Desai accused the Congress of having a "policy of using and discarding" allies. He claimed that Congress leaders told AAP that they were "not fit to contest civic elections," a statement that disregarded AAP's hard work in past electoral battles. This, according to Desai, solidified their resolve to chart an independent course for the Kolhapur civic battle, setting the stage for a multi-cornered contest in the city.
