In a significant development ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, the Congress-Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) alliance has hit an unexpected hurdle. The Prakash Ambedkar-led VBA has been unable to finalize candidates for a majority of the seats allocated to it in Mumbai, forcing a last-minute revision of the seat-sharing arrangement.
Seat-Sharing Stumble: VBA Returns 16 Seats to Congress
The VBA faced difficulty in finding suitable candidates for 21 out of the 62 seats it was originally given to contest in Mumbai. This struggle stemmed from a combination of factors, including a lack of strong local contenders in some areas and incomplete documentation of potential nominees in others. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the VBA leadership communicated to its alliance partner, the Congress, on Tuesday morning that it would only be able to field candidates on five of those 21 seats.
The party explicitly stated that the Congress was free to issue tickets to its own candidates on the remaining 16 seats. This move has effectively reduced the VBA's direct contest in Mumbai to 46 seats, while the Congress has officially announced 143 candidates so far. With six other seats going to smaller allies like the Left and Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP), the Congress-led front is now contesting 195 of the 227 total BMC seats.
Alliance Denies Rift, Blames "Sponsored" Reports
Following reports of a possible fissure in the alliance, both parties moved swiftly to present a united front on Wednesday. Mumbai Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant dismissed any talk of discord. "Ever since the announcement of our alliance, the ruling side is losing its ground. There is absolutely no dispute between us," he asserted, adding that workers and leaders from both sides were in seamless communication.
Echoing this sentiment, VBA spokesperson Siddharth Mokle labeled reports of internal conflict as "sponsored by ruling parties." He clarified the sequence of events, stating, "As far as the issue of 16 seats are concerned, the Congress was informed well in time that the VBA will not be fighting there. Appropriate action was taken by the Congress." He further indicated that the full picture would become clear once the scrutiny of nominations is completed.
Electoral Implications: A Direct Fight in 32 Wards?
The inability of the VBA to contest these 16 seats, coupled with the Congress-led alliance not fielding candidates on another 32 seats, could dramatically alter the electoral math. This scenario potentially sets the stage for a direct, bipolar contest in as many as 32 wards between the ruling Mahayuti alliance (comprising the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena) and the opposition alliance of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
The absence of a strong third candidate from the VBA-Congress combine in these areas might prevent the division of anti-BJP votes. A senior leader from the Sena (UBT) acknowledged this possibility, noting, "It might be a benefit to the Thackerays as there will be no division of votes in anti-BJP voting." However, the final electoral landscape will only be fully apparent after the completion of the nomination scrutiny process.
The episode highlights the challenges of coalition management and ground-level preparedness in high-stakes urban elections. While the alliance publicly maintains harmony, the last-minute candidate shortfall exposes logistical gaps that could influence the outcome in India's richest municipal corporation.
