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VBA fails to find candidates for 16 of 21 seats in Mumbai as part of Congress alliance

Realising the problem, the VBA had conveyed to the Congress on Tuesday morning itself that it will be fielding candidates on five of those seats only and the Congress was free to give tickets to its candidates on the remaining 16.

3 min readMumbaiDec 31, 2025 09:22 PM IST

According to sources, the VBA had found difficulty in finding candidates on 21 out of 62 seats it was given to contest in Mumbai.

The lack of coordination and failure to gauge the political arena has resulted in Congress and Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi failing to give candidates on 16 seats alloted to VBA in its seat sharing formula for BMC polls.

This might result in as many as 32 seats out of 227 to witness direct fight between Mahayuti (BJP or Shinde led Shiv Sena) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena(UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) alliance, as no powerful third front candidate will be contesting.

According to sources, the VBA had found difficulty in finding candidates on 21 out of 62 seats it was given to contest in Mumbai. The party sources said that it did not want to throw away the seat by giving a wrong candidate at some places while at some locations the issue of incomplete documents was raised.

Realising the problem, the VBA had conveyed to the Congress on Tuesday morning itself that it will be fielding candidates on five of those seats only and the Congress was free to give tickets to its candidates on the remaining 16.

The Congress and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Wednesday rejected reports of possible rift within the alliance in Mumbai after 16 seats from the VBA’s quota have allegedly gone uncontested from either side.

“Ever since the announcement of our alliance, the ruling side is losing its ground. There is absolutely no dispute between us. On the contrary, the workers and leaders are in communication with each other without any glitch,” said Mumbai Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant.

The VBA, too, denied any such rift within the parties over seat allocation. Its spokesperson Siddharth Mokle said that such reports are sponsored by ruling parties. “As far as the issue of 16 seats are concerned, the Congress was informed well in time that the VBA will not be fighting there. Appropriate action was taken by the Congress and once the nomination scrutiny is over, reality will be out for everyone to see,” he said.

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The Congress has officially announced 143 candidates in Mumbai as of now. With VBA fighting on 46, six other seats were given to allies, such as the Left and Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP).

The Congress and its allies are officially contesting 195 seats which means, remaining 32 seats will not witness vote division. “It might be a benefit to the Thackerays as there will be no division of votes in anti-BJP voting,” said a senior Sena(UBT) leader.

However, following the scrutiny of nominations the picture will be clearer, he said.

Alok Deshpande

Alok Deshpande is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized for his focused and authoritative reporting on governance, politics, and the socio-economic dynamics of Maharashtra's hinterlands. His unique academic background in Geology and early work in the water sector provides a specialized layer of Expertise to his reporting on resource and environmental issues. Expertise Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai. Core Authority: Alok provides detailed coverage of Maharashtra politics and governance, with a particular emphasis on how policies and power struggles affect the rural and semi-urban areas (the 'hinterlands'). Key Coverage Areas: His reports frequently focus on high-stakes administrative and political topics, including: State Assembly Proceedings: In-depth reporting on the Legislative Assembly, covering ministerial statements, legislative debates, and inter-party conflict within the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Policy & Finance: Coverage of state finances, including supplementary budget demands, fiscal deficits, and major government schemes (e.g., Jal Jeevan Mission, Ladki Bahin Yojana). Rural and Social Issues: Reports on critical health issues (e.g., child deaths in districts), human-animal conflict (leopard attacks, stray dogs), and agrarian concerns (e.g., farmer suicides). Local and Urban Governance: Covers major announcements regarding urban development (e.g., BMC's OC amnesty scheme, pagdi system push) and local body elections, including political defections and alliance splits. Unique Credentials & Trustworthiness Academic Specialization: Holds a Post-graduate degree in Geology. This background gives him a foundational understanding of natural resources, which directly informs his reporting on environment, water, and infrastructure projects. Early Professional Experience: His shift to journalism came after working with an NGO focused on the water sector. This practical experience strengthens his Expertise in critical areas like water management and rural development, as evidenced by his reporting on the Jal Jeevan Mission. Journalism Training: An alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, confirming his formal training and commitment to rigorous journalistic standards. Alok Deshpande's rare combination of scientific education, non-profit sector experience, and deep political reporting makes him a highly trusted and authoritative voice on the governance and ground realities of Maharashtra. He tweets @alokdesh ... Read More

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