Congress contesting polls independently will only help BJP, says Mouthpiece of Shiv Sena (UBT)

Ahead of the upcoming local body elections, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday (November 18, 2025) advised the Congress to reconsider its will to contest independently in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections following the collapse in the Bihar elections.

In the party’s mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena (UBT) warned the Congress that this move would only benefit the BJP and lead to a rift in the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

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Questioning what happened to the Congress’s vote bank in Bihar, where there is no Shiv Sena (UBT) or MNS, the editorial said, “The Bihar election decision reflects the games played by the BJP and now is not the time to think about who has which ideology. This will result in splits in votes, so we must fight together.”

The editorial also highlights that the inclusion of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the MVA will “strengthen the alliance”. The article clearly expressed Congress’s concerns over Raj Thackeray’s entry that it could harm North India and shake the Muslim voter base.

The opinion piece came after many Congress party leaders stated that they would go it alone in the BMC polls. The editorial came under criticism from a Congress leader, who said it was not necessary to compare Bihar and State local elections.

Congress leader Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “It is necessary to think about whether these comparisons have any meaning. Whatever happened in Maharashtra, the same happened in Haryana and Bihar. Even though we had a coalition of 10 parties, we lost in Bihar. In Maharashtra, we won as an alliance in the Lok Sabha and lost in the Assembly elections as well. So, we do not need to compare anything.”

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The party, through its spokesperson, claimed that the Congress “has nothing to worry about its Muslim and North Indian vote base; they will continue to support the MVA”.

“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comment about teaching Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar a lesson can be realized only if the MVA remains united,” he said.