Citizen candidates ate into Congress vote bank

Though the citizen candidates won only one seat in the civic polls, some of them ensured the defeat of Congress candidates in some wards and have reduced its margin in other wards.

Though the Congress made a pre-poll alliance with the NCP for the BMC polls, it could win only 52. In 2007 civic elections, it fought alone and won 70 seats. Apart from the division of Dalit and Muslim votes, in seven wards, the Congress lost its candidates by a small margin. These votes were coincidently polled by citizen candidates.

For example, in ward number 1, Congress candidate Rajendraprasad Chaube lost to Shiv Sena candidate Abhishek Ghosalkar only by 1,900 votes and citizen candidate Harish Pande of Mumbai 227 got 1,818 votes. The situation is similar in ward numbers 60, 62, 64, 71, 105 and 182.

The Congress retained ward numbers 65 and 77 by a small margin of 294 and 225 respectively. 

Political analysts said it was a local phenomenon. “It is a local phenomenon that would affect only the local bodies’ election and it won’t have any impact in state and national elections,” said Uday Nirgudkar, a political analyst.

But the parties are now wary of citizen candidates. “We need to take preventive measures for the next election. A single seat counts to come into power and we can’t ignore it,” said a Congress office bearer.