Congress Secures Significant Gains in Maharashtra Civic Elections
Congress has emerged from Maharashtra's municipal corporation elections with renewed confidence, claiming substantial gains across the state. The party announced it will have mayoral posts in at least four cities, approximately 350 corporators statewide, and a role in power-sharing arrangements in at least 10 civic bodies.
Organizational Resurgence and Ideological Battle
Addressing the media in Buldhana on Friday, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshwardhan Sapkal framed the results as evidence of an ideological and organizational resurgence. "Without worrying about victory or defeat, we fought an ideological battle," Sapkal declared. He emphasized that Congress now stands as the largest opposition party in Maharashtra, attributing this position to public trust and the determination of party workers.
Sapkal explained the party's strategy during the polls, which coincided with the Sankranti festival. "We contested independently where possible and forged alliances elsewhere," he said, describing this approach as part of a steady rebuilding process. He congratulated victorious candidates and party cadres, stating these gains resulted from committed struggle rather than mere electoral outcomes.
Allegations of Electoral Malpractices
The Congress leader launched a blistering attack on the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, accusing it of widespread electoral malpractices. "There was massive use of money and bogus voting," Sapkal alleged. He claimed Congress workers stood firmly against what he called the BJP's bulldozer tactics without compromise, making their performance a matter of pride for the party.
Sapkal stressed that Congress would not be disheartened by any setbacks and was actively preparing for future political battles. He framed the party's path forward as a broader struggle to protect democracy and the Constitution, regardless of immediate electoral outcomes.
Mumbai Results Spark Sharpest Criticism
The sharpest criticism was reserved for the Mumbai civic election results, which Sapkal alleged were "fixed." He claimed manipulation occurred at multiple stages:
- Ward delimitation designed to favor certain parties
- Polling-day processes including machine issues
- Confusion over voter ink application
"From the design of wards to machines and even the confusion over ink, everything was part of fixing," Sapkal asserted. He called on the Election Commission to stop acting under what he described as BJP instructions, alleging a collapse of institutional neutrality.
Detailed Allegations and Poetic Jibe
According to Sapkal, several practices eroded the principle of free and fair elections:
- Cash distribution to influence voters
- Bogus voters participating in the process
- Coercion of candidates
- Election Commission's "sloppy functioning"
"The BJP has lost all sense of morality and shame. Democracy is clearly under threat," he warned. Sapkal used a metaphor to describe the situation: "A balloon keeps expanding, but it bursts at one point. That moment is now approaching."
He also delivered a poetic jibe about BJP's victories: "Bogus voting was done, currency notes were distributed, and with the Election Commission's help, the lotus ties the turban of power." This reference to the lotus, BJP's election symbol, highlighted his allegations of institutional collusion.
Sapkal concluded by framing Congress's performance as the beginning of a sustained ideological resistance. The party's gains in municipal corporations across Maharashtra, despite the alleged malpractices, signal its determination to rebuild its organizational strength and challenge the ruling alliance on multiple fronts.
