Congress Rift Surfaces After BMC Poll Rout, Bhai Jagtap Targets Varsha Gaikwad, Gets Show-Cause Notice

Mumbai |18 January 2026: A day after the Congress suffered a crushing defeat in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, internal cracks within the Mumbai unit of the party came out in the open. Former Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap publicly asked current party chief Varsha Gaikwad to take responsibility for the poor performance and step down from her post. The Congress contested 152 of the 227 seats in the BMC elections but managed to win only 24 seats, marking its worst-ever performance in the civic body. In comparison, the party had secured 31 seats in the 2017 elections. Speaking to a news agency, Jagtap said leadership should be judged by results, adding that holding a position alone does not make one a strong leader. Jagtap’s remarks triggered swift action from the party high command. He was served a show-cause notice by U B Venkatesh, AICC secretary in charge of Mumbai and the Konkan region, for violating party discipline. The notice stated that internal matters related to leadership and organisational functioning must be discussed within party forums and not aired publicly, warning that such actions harm unity and damage the party’s image. Reacting to the developments, Mumbai Congress chief spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that given the “extremely adverse circumstances,” the party’s performance was satisfactory. Bhai Jagtap, however, did not respond to calls or messages seeking his reaction to the notice, even as the episode highlighted growing tensions within the Mumbai Congress after the electoral setback. Congress Infighting Erupts After BMC Loss, Varsha Gaikwad Under Fire The Congress party’s poor showing in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections has sparked open tension within its Mumbai unit. Soon after the results, former Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap demanded that current president Varsha Gaikwad take responsibility for the defeat and resign from her post. The party contested 152 of the 227 civic seats but won only 24, its lowest-ever tally in BMC history. Speaking to the media, Jagtap said leadership is defined by performance, not position, and added that accountability was necessary after such a major setback. Jagtap’s public remarks did not go down well with the Congress leadership. He was issued a show-cause notice by AICC secretary U B Venkatesh for violating party discipline and raising internal matters in public. The notice said such statements weaken collective leadership and harm the party’s image at a crucial time. Meanwhile, Mumbai Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant defended the party’s performance, saying the results were reasonable given the difficult circumstances. Jagtap did not respond to the notice, but the episode has clearly exposed internal divisions in the party following the BMC defeat.