The decision, which the Congress was kept in the dark about, was announced by Yakub Memon. The SP's 22 members have been supporting the Congress, which is the largest opposition party in the BMC with 52 members, on all issues so that both parties could work in tandem, stated Memon. But as the Congress had gone soft on many issues after the Mayor-in-Council system was introduced, the SP would not have any more floor co-ordination with the party, he said.

Complaining that the Congress treated the SP as a `non-entity', Yusuf Abrahani said: ``With the introduction of the MIC, the power is concentrated in few hands, and hence it is necessary for opposition parties to closely watch, monitor and scrutinise all proposals the MICpasses. It is also obligatory for the opposition to debate issues in the general body meetings.'' This, he felt, was missing in the Congress approach, and the SP was playing the role of the opposition while the Congress was hogging the credit.

Abrahani also alleged that the Congress was soft on issues which would have caused the MIC embarrassment and which had compelled the SP to emerge as the only `active' opposition party.

The flashpoint between the parties seems to have been the Congress' praise for the BMC for taking action against agitating hawkers at an SP rally at Azad Maidan on Tuesday. Abrahani even claimed that Mayor Nandu Satam has an understanding with some Congress councillors, wherein he briefs them on decisions he plans to take to muffle any opposition.

The Congress camp says it is shocked by the SP decision. Congress leader Kishan Jadhav claimed that his party had protested whenever it felt that the MIC had taken a wrong decision. Party leader Ravindra Pawar added that the house had tobe adjourned twice on one occasion due to vocal Congress protest. The party's opposition to demolitions at Mulund had forced the Mayor to visit the spot and take suitable action, he stated.