Mumbai Congress leaders seek appointment to meet Mallikarjun Kharge as infighting looms

The letter was written on June 16 and the senior party leaders will be in Delhi Tuesday when a special meeting to discuss the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections has been convened.

The Mumbai leaders have sought to meet Kharge on the same day.

According to one of the leaders who is a signatory on the letter, the Congress in Mumbai has witnessed an organisational decline under the leadership of Lok Sabha MP and Mumbai unit chief Varsha Gaikwad.

“Many corporators have quit. The party is seeing a downfall in terms of organisational strength and these important issues need to be raised in front of the central leadership. Hence we have sought time for a meeting with the party president,” the leader said.

Asked if the senior leaders are looking to oust Gaikwad from her post, he said that the central leadership will take the right decision and no such demand has been made in the letter.

When contacted, Gaikwad said that she could not comment on a letter she was unaware of. “If anyone is raising issues about the organisational strength in Mumbai, then I must say that I am one of the most vocal party leaders in Mumbai who has not shied away from criticising big names. I have not even touched any appointments made in the past nor have I discontinued anyone. It is important that people should focus on contesting and winning Assembly elections instead of focusing on me,” she said.

Another Mumbai leader who is in Delhi for the June 25 meeting said that he was aware of the letter and added that the points raised were more about the need to strengthen the organisation rather than sack Gaikwad.

Naseem Khan, who is one of the signatories, refused to comment.

Mumbai Congress working president Charan Singh Sapra said, “After the Lok Sabha success, it is important to focus on Assembly polls where organisational strengthening is required. The letter has only pointed that out,” he said.

Party leader Bhushan Patil said that he was in Delhi to attend the June 25 meeting but has not signed any letter.
“I have heard about the letter but it is about senior leadership coming together to seek an appointment to discuss organisational issues in Mumbai Congress. I am not aware of any demand to oust Gaikwad,” he said