Congress Warns of Alliance Damage After Losing Chandrapur Mayoral Post to BJP

NEW DELHI: The Congress party in Maharashtra has issued a stern warning about potential damage to its alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) after a series of political maneuvers resulted in the BJP's candidate, Sangeeta Khandekar, being elected as the mayor of Chandrapur Municipal Corporation. The development marks a significant setback for the Congress, which was expected to win the mayoral post but lost by just one vote.

Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal accused the Shiv Sena (UBT), Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, and Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) of engaging in 'horse-trading.' Sapkal stated, “In the Chandrapur mayoral election, the BJP secured 32 votes and Congress 31. The Sena (UBT) is an ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the INDIA bloc. With its six corporators, the Sena (UBT) was expected to support the Congress. But the party chose to go with the BJP. This development will have consequences in the state.”

Sapkal further elaborated on the situation, saying, “The BJP also gained the upper hand with the support of the AIMIM. If the VBA, with whom we had formed a genuine alliance in the civic body polls, had backed the Congress, our candidate would have won. There was horse-trading.” He also addressed the internal factional feud within the Chandrapur Congress, emphasizing that the party corporators were “united” and that he had personally resolved differences among party leaders in the city.

“It is only because of the Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM, and VBA that the BJP could install its mayor,” Sapkal asserted. The tension is palpable, as the Congress had emerged as the largest party in the 66-member Chandrapur Municipal Corporation with 27 seats, closely followed by the BJP with 23 seats. This tight race prompted both parties to engage in coalition-building efforts to secure the mayor and deputy mayor posts.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) won six seats, while the Bharatiya Shetkari Kamgar Paksh (Janvikas Sena) secured three seats, the VBA won two, and one seat each went to AIMIM, BSP, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, which is a BJP ally. Two independents also won seats. The poll results were declared on January 16, setting the stage for the intense political drama that followed.

The outcome of this election has far-reaching implications for the political landscape in Maharashtra, particularly for the Congress party, which now faces the challenge of maintaining its alliances and regaining ground in future elections. The allegations of betrayal and horse-trading have added another layer of complexity to the already tense political environment in the state.