BMC Election: Congress's MVA Split Backfires, Muslim-Dalit Vote Bank Shifts, Seats Halved

• Congress secured only 15 out of 227 seats in the BMC elections, a significant drop from 31 seats in 2017, signaling a 'danger alarm' for the party.
• The decision to contest separately from MVA (Shiv Sena UBT, NCP Sharad Pawar) and ally with VBA did not yield expected vote transfer benefits.
• Congress failed to establish a strong campaign narrative, appearing 'low energy' and lacking consistent messaging at the ward level.
• Internal strife, weak election machinery, and the inability of VBA to effectively transfer Dalit votes contributed to the poor performance.
• The most alarming trend for Congress is the apparent shift in its traditional Muslim and Dalit vote banks to other parties like AIMIM and Samajwadi Party.

Why It Matters: Congress's strategic missteps and vote bank erosion led to a drastic reduction in BMC seats, signaling urban marginalization.