Mumbai: Senior Congress leader and former Mumbai president Bhai Jagtap on Wednesday said that the Congress will not ally with Raj Thackeray or even Uddhav Thackeray in the coming civic polls in Mumbai. Mr. Jagtap said almost all Congress workers expressed the same view in a meeting with party’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala.

Mr. Jagtap said, “This is a battle of grassroots workers. I have said that we should contest alone. I am not the only person with this stance in the party; our Political Affairs Committee believes that Congress should go solo for the upcoming BMC elections. We have conveyed our stance to the top leadership, but the final call lies with the high command.”

The debate over the alliance has intensified in Congress after the indications of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joining hands with Shiv Sena (UBT). Sanjay Raut recently announced that Uddhav and Raj Thackeray would jointly contest the civic polls, and any party seeking an alliance with Uddhav’s faction must also align with Raj Thackeray.

“Let alone Raj Thackeray, in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections, we will not fight even with Uddhav Thackeray. When I was the president of Mumbai Congress, I had said this. I said the same thing to Congress party’s Maharashtra incharge Ramesh Chennithala during a meeting of our political affairs committee,” Mr Jagtap said.

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad described Jagtap’s remarks as his personal opinion but acknowledged that most party cadres prefer contesting the BMC elections without any alliance. “Everyone can express their personal views. While it is true that many of our members oppose alliances, the final decision will be made by the top leadership, and all must abide by it,” she said.