All is not well within the Mumbai unit of the Indian National Congress, where around 16 leaders have called for the replacement of its Mumbai unit chief, Varsha Gaikwad. In a letter dated June 16, they said Gaikwad’s replacement would help strengthen the party’s organisation in Mumbai ahead of the Maharashtra state elections due in October, PTI reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
They also believe that Varsha Gaikwad, who was elected from Mumbai North Central constituency in the recently concluded general election, does not have the time to work at an organisational level and they also object to his style of working.
A source told PTI that Gaikwad had not called all party workers for the recent protests against the UGC-NET exam disruptions, adding that separate protests had to be held in the suburbs. “It has been 13 months since she became the city unit chief but she has not spearheaded any substantive work to galvanise the party cadre,” the source said.
Moreover, the party’s Mumbai North Lok Sabha candidate Bhushan Patil also said he has not received any support from the city unit. Patil said he had failed to establish a lead in Malad Assembly constituency, held by Congress MP Aslam Sheikh, in the Lok Sabha elections, the sources added.
Signatories to the letter include Rajya Sabha member and BJP executive committee member Chandrakant Handre, former city party leaders Janardhan Chandurkar and Bhai Jagtap, senior leaders Naseem Khan, Suresh Shetty, Madhu Chavan, Charansingh Sapra and Zakir Ahmed, and Maharashtra BJP treasurer Amarjit Manhass.
The leaders also sought time from the Indian National Congress Party’s central leadership to discuss the party’s revival in Mumbai ahead of the postponed state and civic body elections.
Most of these party leaders are in Delhi to meet BJP leader Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretary KC Venugopal and senior leader Rahul Gandhi to strategise for strengthening the party in Mumbai. Sources said a meeting of the BJP on Maharashtra is scheduled for today.
In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Indian National Congress could win only four of Mumbai’s 36 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the veteran party won one of the two seats it contested in the city.
