Bosses admit bad blood led to defeat

Concerned about the Congress-NCP spat, which helped the saffron alliance win the BMC elections, Congress president Sonia Gandhi apparently discussed the matter with CPI general secretary AB Bardhan and his party colleague D Raja who called on her in New Delhi on Saturday.

“It is not Sonia Gandhi’s fault. The NCP sabotaged the Congress’s prospects by inflating its demand. It wanted 90 seats even though it had just 14 seats in the outgoing BMC. The Congress was willing to give it 65,” Bardhan said.

“The fact is that we goofed up big time,” said a senior minister from Maharashtra. According to sources, Congress leaders were peeved at the way Union Minister Vilas Muthewar and state minister Suresh Chaturvedi openly worked against each other in Nagpur. “This is unacceptable, they will have to pay for it,” said an AICC general secretary.

Congress political managers were scrambling to limit the damage by working out post poll arrangements. The party hopes to work out a power-sharing arrangement with the NCP and other parties in Sholapur, Pune, Akola, Nasik, Ulhasnagar and Amravati.

“There are all kinds of post-poll possibilities; we can come to power in 6-7 of the local bodies,” said spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi.