Senior Congress leader Anant Gadgil on Sunday called for urgent introspection within the party following its dismal showing in the recent Maharashtra municipal elections, warning that survival depends on reconnecting with core workers and its rural base.

Gadgil said the Congress must look inward at a time when political discourse is dominated by the BJP’s electoral success and internal disagreements within the ruling Mahayuti over mayoral posts.

In the recently concluded civic polls, the Congress — which contested in alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha and RPI (Gavai) — recorded its lowest-ever tally, winning just 24 seats in the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance secured a clear majority in the cash-rich civic body, with the BJP winning 89 seats and the Shiv Sena 29. The Shiv Sena (UBT) won 65 seats, while its ally, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, secured six.

In a statement, the former legislator attributed the Congress’s poor performance to a growing “disconnect” between the party leadership and ground-level realities, stressing the need for deeper engagement with grassroots workers.

He said that the four key areas of concern were the sidelining of loyalists in favour of "party-hoppers", the rising influence of "money power" over ideology, a non-transparent candidate selection process, and the cessation of pre-election training programmes for party workers.

"Instead of holding any single individual responsible, the party must engage in a comprehensive internal dialogue," Gadgil said.

He emphasised that with rapid urbanisation in Maharashtra, the Congress must promote leaders who command genuine public respect and middle-class support, moving beyond the traditional arithmetic of "money and caste".

In view of the upcoming Zilla Parishad polls, he cautioned that retaining the rural and farmer vote bank is essential for the party.

He urged the leadership to organise a 'Chintan Shivir' (brainstorming session) to devise a roadmap for the party's rejuvenation in the state.

In 29 municipal corporation polls in Maharashtra, Congress has bagged 324 seats, gaining an upper hand in the Opposition bloc, while the ruling BJP are far ahead with 1,425 seats. In the 246 municipal council and 42 nagar panchayat polls, the saffron party has 2,431 seats, while the Congress has 824.