KALYAN: “The Congress will contest the seats allotted to it if the alliance is finalised, otherwise the party is fully prepared to contest all 122 seats on its own,” said District Congress president Rajabhau Patkar, making the party’s stand clear as preparations for the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections gather pace.With the civic election bugle sounding, political activity in Kalyan-Dombivli has intensified, marked by sharp allegations and counter-allegations between the ruling parties and the opposition. Amid this churn, the Congress has signalled its intent to enter the elections with renewed vigour and organisational strength.According to party leaders, the Congress has received an encouraging response from aspirants, with around 50 aspirants from Dombivli and 76 from Kalyan seeking party tickets. Patkar said the party machinery is fully geared up for an aggressive campaign, adding that seat-sharing discussions under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are still underway and will determine the final strategy.The run-up to the elections has also seen political realignments and internal criticism. Former Congress corporator Ratnaprabha Mhatre accused former district president Sachin Pote of weakening the party by blocking the rise of new leadership. Pote recently joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, following which the Congress addressed the issue at a press conference. Mhatre said the party was compelled to respond after Pote made remarks against the Congress.Senior Congress leader Mama Pagare has once again come into focus ahead of the elections. Pagare had earlier sparked controversy over a social media post related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi resulting BJP workers forcefully had made him to wear saree in full public view on road, an incident that drew statewide criticism attention and was even acknowledged by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In a move aimed at strengthening the organisation, the party has appointed Pagare as a vice-president.Meanwhile, Congress Maharashtra secretary Navin Singh expressed confidence about the party’s prospects in the KDMC polls. “The Congress will perform much better in the upcoming elections. We will give the people of Kalyan-Dombivli strong and capable candidates,” he said.In the 2015 civic elections, the Congress had won four corporator seats, but all four later switched parties, raising questions about its grassroots strength. However, Congress leaders maintain that the party has regrouped and is ready to test its strength—either within the alliance or independently—in the forthcoming civic elections.
