Mumbai Congress Chief Ashok Jagtap Suggests to Go Solo in 2022 Civic Polls

Newly-elected Mumbai Congress chief Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap on Sunday suggested that the party contest all the 227 seats in the crucial 2022 elections to the Mumbai civic body. The Congress shares power with the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra.

"Seat-sharing is a difficult task, therefore, we as a party should think about the people who carried the party flag on their shoulders and fight all the 227 seats in the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)," Jagtap told reporters in Jejuri in Pune district. When asked about his priorities as the president of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC), Jagtap said the Congress' tally had decreased in previous polls and he would try to unite all the experienced leaders to increase the number of seats.

The Congress on Saturday appointed Charan Singh Sapra as the new working president of the Mumbai Congress. "The Congress president has approved the proposal of appointment of Ashok Arjunrao Jagtap as the new president of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee. Charan Singh Sapra will be the working president of MRCC," the statement from AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said.

The Congress also formed various committees for MRCC with state minister Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan as chairman of Campaign Committee and Amarjit Singh Manhas as chairman of Coordination Committee. Former minister Suresh Shetty has been appointed as the chairman of the Manifesto and Publication Committee and Chandrakant Handore has been appointed as PMCC in-charge for MRCC.

In the Mumbai civic polls held in 2017, the Congress registered its worst-ever electoral performance in the city, managing to win just 31 seats out of the total 227. In that elections, the BJP made giant strides in the Shiv Sena citadel of Mumbai, winning 82 seats, just two seats behind the estranged saffron ally.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Raj Thackeray's MNS were reduced to 9 and 7 seats, respectively.

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