Despite their depleted strength in the new general body of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the just-elected Congress corporators would strongly raise issues concerning local residents and work to resolve their problems, the party's city chief Varsha Gaekwad said on Monday

Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) president Varsha Gaikwad also alleged that the January 15 BMC elections witnessed serious attacks on democratic process, including pressure on candidates to withdraw from the fray, distribution of money, and irregularities during vote count

Speaking to the media after felicitating the 24 newly-elected Congress corporators, Gaikwad maintained the municipal polls were fought under extremely adverse conditions

The Lok Sabha MP from Mumbai North Central emphasised that Congress workers fought the elections with determination despite unfavourable circumstances

Gaikwad said the Congress would work to curb corruption in the BMC, whose budget for the ongoing fiscal stood at more than Rs 74,000 crore