Amid speculations of Shiv Sena shaking hands with the Congress party in order to form a majority for the Brihanmumbai Municipality Corporations, Congress leader and Mumbai Regional Congress Committee chairman Sanjay Nirupam, on February 25, stated that they are not in favour to amalgamate with the Shiv Sena in BMC.
Earlier today, Congress leader Gurudas Kamat also expressed his denial to any such support to the Sena. In a letter dated February 25, said that the Congress party has fought against both Shiv Sena and BJP in the civic body polls held on February 21 and would support either of them in a bid to gain control of the country’s richest civic body.
“We fought against both saffron parties and now if support any of them, the public would not spare us,” said Kamath in a press release.
Also on February 24, Sanjay Nirupam in a statement said,”We will not go against our ideological stand. We were defeated against BJP and Shiv Sena and we respect this decision of the public. But the voters have also not given the powers to the saffron parties who fought a bitter battle. Congress will not support either of them but will witness the fight between them.”
The Shiv Sena bagged (84+3) of the 227 seats in BMC polls, closely followed by BJP with 82 seats the Congress won 31 seats, NCP nine, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena seven, Samajwadi Party six, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen two, Independents five and a local party won one seat.
Speculation was rife about whether the Sena would join hands with Congress (31) to reach the magic mark of 114 in the 227-member civic body.
Sena had approached senior Congress leaders in New Delhi. But some Congressmen feel it will not be a simple decision given the ideological differences between the two parties.
