Congress and VBA Unite for BMC Elections in Maharashtra

In a significant political development, Congress and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) have formed an alliance for the upcoming Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. This collaboration aims to unite minority groups, Dalits, and dissatisfied urban voters against the ruling BJP. Local decisions will guide candidate selection across 28 municipal bodies, reflecting ground realities and leadership dynamics. The alliance, which recalls a previous partnership from the late 1990s, is seen as a strategic move to challenge the BJP's influence in Maharashtra. Leaders from both parties emphasize shared values and a commitment to constitutional principles as the foundation of this new political chapter.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 29, 2025, 12:46 IST

Significant Political Alliance in Maharashtra

The collaboration between Congress and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) is being viewed as a pivotal moment in Maharashtra's political landscape. After operating independently for an extended period, these two parties are now strategizing together for the upcoming Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The primary goal of this alliance is to consolidate support from minority groups, Dalits, and disenchanted urban voters. Decisions regarding candidate selection and electoral strategies will be made locally across 28 municipal bodies, ensuring that each ward's ground realities, local leadership, and winning prospects are taken into account for seat distribution. This new political dynamic could pose a challenge to both the ruling party and other opposition groups, potentially reshaping the political equations in Mumbai.

Local Decisions for Candidate Selection

In Mumbai, the VBA plans to contest 62 out of the 227 available seats. Both parties have agreed that decisions regarding the alliance in the state's other 25 municipal corporations will also be made at the local level, empowering local leadership. Harshvardhan Sapkal, the state Congress president, emphasized the significance of this alliance coinciding with the party's foundation day. The announcement was made at the Congress state headquarters, Tilak Bhavan, by Sapkal and Dr. Dhairyavardhan Pundkar, the state vice president of VBA. Sapkal stated that this natural alliance aims to curb the BJP's influence, which he accused of fostering corruption in the BMC through administrative means. He asserted that the partnership between Congress and VBA is based on shared values and a commitment to constitutional principles, recalling their previous alliance in the 1998 and 1999 elections.

Joint Efforts to Counter BJP

Dr. Dhairyavardhan Pundkar, the state vice president of VBA, remarked that the alliance was formed to counter the divisive policies of the BJP. The Congress state president took the initiative to foster a positive dialogue from the outset. The VBA will contest 62 seats in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. Siddharth Maukle, another state vice president of VBA, noted that discussions regarding seat allocation in alliances are rarely completely satisfactory, but compromises are necessary. Positive discussions have taken place between both parties regarding the alliance, which was officially announced during a joint press conference attended by Congress leaders, including Harshvardhan Sapkal and Sachin Sawant.