BMC Elections 2022: Sonu Sood for Mayor? Draft Congress strategy document moots Milind Soman, Riteish Deshmukh too

Ganesh Yadav said that Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap will discuss the strategy document with senior party leaders.

Ahead of the 2022 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls which Congress wants to contest individually, the grand old party has prepared a draft strategy document that says that the party should declare a mayoral candidate in advance. The report says that the party should declare personalities like model and fitness enthusiast Milind Soman, Riteish Deshmukh, actor and son of former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, or actor Sonu Sood as its mayoral candidate. None of these personalities is currently a member of the party.

While Riteish Deshmukh has a political background, he has so far kept away from politics. Sonu Sood recently shot to limelight, providing help to people in distress due to COVID-19 and the lockdown. On the other hand, Soman is a fitness role model for many.

Mumbai Congress Secretary Ganesh Yadav has prepared the 25-page strategy document which is yet to be presented before the party leaders. According to an Indian Express report, the document may be presented to AICC Maharashtra Secretary in-charge H K Patil in the next few days.

Ganesh Yadav said that Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap will discuss the strategy document with senior party leaders. The document stated that the mayoral candidate should be non-political and must have some appeal among the youth. The document also suggests that the party give a few tickets to young professionals, social activists and start-up owners as a part of an image-building exercise.

While senior party leaders in the state have been saying that Congress will contest the BMC polls solo, the document wants the party to come clear on its stand about any alliance with the Shiv Sena.

The report said that if the party wants to win the perception game, it needs the correct posturing of the party. It said that the party’s stand is unclear as it is not seen opposing the current BMC regime headed by the Shiv Sena. The Congress is a coalition partner in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government along with Shiv Sena and the NCP.

“Our positions on issues need to be concrete so that we can communicate the same to people effectively. This has to be done immediately so that it can be seen in the decisions we take in the BMC. Currently, there is no Congress in the BMC house because of this confusion, said the report.

The report also wants the party to announce candidates on 147 seats where there are no Congress corporators if it decides to go solo in the polls.