‘PROJECT SONU SOOD, RITEISH OR MILIND SOMAN AS MUMBAI’S MAYORAL FACE’
MUMBAI: A Congress leader has suggested that the party should project actors Sonu Sood, Riteish Deshmukh or model Milind Soman as the mayoral candidate for the ensuing Mumbai civic polls.
Ganesh Yadav, secretary of the Mumbai Congress’ strategy committee appointed for the civic polls, has recommended that the party should handpick mayoral candidate ahead of the elections and the face should be among Deshmukh, Sood or Soman who have a connect with the city’s youth.
The recommendation by Yadav – who is also senior vicepresident of Mumbai Congress – is a part of his presentation to the strategy committee, that comprises of 25 senior leaders. The report was making rounds on social media after getting leaked. When contacted, Yadav refused to comment on the suggestions and said he was not aware how the report submitted to the committee was leaked.
The strategy committee is headed by Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and comprises of Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap and other senior leaders including Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan.
Mumbai civic polls are due early next year and the Congress is planning to go solo for the same. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is being ruled by the Shiv Sena for over two decades. Earlier, the Sena and BJP together were in power, but the two parties contested separately in 2017. While Sena somehow managed to retain power in the civic body, BJP finished close second. This time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has vowed to wrest power from the Sena. Though Sena and Congress are partners in the ruling government in the state, the two parties are likely to contest the next civic polls separately.