In a significant political move, the Mumbai Congress on Friday launched a scathing attack on the ruling Mahayuti alliance, releasing a detailed 'chargesheet' that catalogues alleged large-scale irregularities and corruption within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Allegations of Financial Misconduct and Civic Neglect
Mumbai Congress president and MP Varsha Gaikwad, addressing the media in Bandra, accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of systematically looting public money through the appointed BMC administrator. She stated that essential civic services have been severely neglected since the term of the city's elected representatives ended in March 2022.
Gaikwad emphasized a failure of transparency and accountability, presenting documents that outline the status of various stalled infrastructure projects. The chargesheet highlights several major alleged scams, including a Rs 5,000-crore Project Affected Persons (PAP) scam, an Rs 87-crore Gokhale bridge scam, and the ongoing Mithi river scam.
BMC Branded 'Brasht Mahayuti Corporation'
The Congress document, listing 13 critical points, provocatively renames the BMC as 'Brasht Mahayuti Corporation' (Corrupt Mahayuti Corporation). It claims that for three years and nine months, the Mahayuti government has denied Mumbaikars their democratic voting rights for civic governance.
The party alleges that key urban issues plaguing the city have been utterly ignored. These include:
- Chronic traffic congestion
- Deteriorating air quality
- Inadequate public transport
- Unreliable water supply
- Failing healthcare and education systems
"Through the BMC administrator, the Mahayuti govt has looted the people of Mumbai. Mumbaikars are deprived of even basic civic amenities. The city has been virtually sold off to contractors and favoured industrialists, leading to the decline of the country's financial capital," Gaikwad alleged.
Congress's Electoral Focus and Historical Context
Asserting that the upcoming elections should be fought on civic issues rather than divisive lines, Gaikwad said, "Congress will focus on Mumbaikars' issues in the election." She added that the party would soon release its manifesto and stressed, "Mumbai's election should be fought not on the basis of caste, religion, region, or language, but on Mumbai's real issues. Mumbaikars do not want controversy; they want development."
The event saw the presence of several senior Congress leaders, including party MLAs Amin Patel, Aslam Shaikh, and Jyoti Gaikwad, along with leaders Bhai Jagtap and Sachin Sawant.
This attack comes against a backdrop where the BJP itself had previously raised serious corruption concerns in the BMC. The BJP had accused the then undivided Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, of misappropriating funds during Covid-related procurement and in the Mithi river project, during its long tenure governing the civic body.
