Sanjay Nirupam has been expelled by the Congress for six years on grounds of indiscipline and anti-party statements.Former MP Sanjay Nirupam, who was expelled by the Congress last night, has claimed that he had sent across his resignation before his expulsion letter was issued. In a post on X, Nirupam shared his resignation letter, dated April 3, and cheekily commented on the party’s “promptness”.
“Looks like, immediately after the party received my resignation letter last night, they decided to issue my expulsion. Good to see the such promptness. Just sharing this info. I will give detail statement today between 11.30 to 12 PM,” he said in the post.
The Mumbai leader has been expelled by the Congress for six years on grounds of indiscipline and anti-party statements.
The action followed Nirupam’s scathing remarks against Congress’ Maha Vikas Aghadi as well as INDIA ally, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) over seat-sharing in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections. The state unit of the Congress had already dropped him from the party’s list of star campaigners.
“Taking note of complaints of indiscipline and anti-party statements, Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) has approved the expulsion of Sanjay Nirupam from the party for six years with immediate effect,” an official communication from the party said.
Nirupam has been critical of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena ever since it announced its candidates for the Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
The primary point of contention centers around the Mumbai North-West seat, which Nirupam wants to contest, while the Uddhav Sena has nominated Amol Kirtikar as its candidate. The seat is currently held by Shiv Sena’s Gajanan Kirtikar, who defeated Nirupam in the 2019 election and sided with Eknath Shinde post the Shiv Sena’s split.
Uddhav Sena is strategically fielding his son, Amol, for the seat. Gajanan Kirtikar has since declared his intention not to contest against his son. Reports suggest that the BJP plans to nominate its candidate for the seat as part of its agreement with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Nirupam’s recent statements have stirred considerable controversy within the Congress ranks. He called on the Congress leadership not to succumb to pressure from Uddhav Thackeray’s party, alleging that the Shiv Sena lacks the capability to win seats without Congress support.
Criticizing the alleged arm-twisting tactics employed by the Shiv Sena in securing a significant number of seats in Mumbai, Nirupam warned against conceding to such tactics, suggesting that it could spell disaster for the Congress in the city.
The former Rajya Sabha MP urged the party to end their alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT) saying “the way it has taken 5 seats of Mumbai. It seems that there is a plan to bury Congress in Mumbai. It seems that Shiv Sena wants to force Congress to kneel.”
“If Shiv Sena thinks it can fight alone then it is making a big mistake,” Nirupam added.
Nirupam also made serious allegations against Sena’s candidate Amol Kirtikar, accusing him of involvement in a bribery scandal related to a COVID relief initiative for migrant laborers, dubbed the “khichdi scam.” In a direct attack on Uddhav Thackeray, Nirupam referred to him as the “bachi khuchi Shiv Sena pramukh,” alluding to the rift within the party following the rebellion led by Eknath Shinde.
Speculation surrounding Nirupam’s future within the Congress has intensified. While he has hinted at being open to all possibilities, including a potential departure from the party, the Maharashtra BJP president, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, extended an invitation to Nirupam, stating that individuals with aligned ideologies are always welcome in the BJP. Feelers from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena indicate a willingness to welcome Nirupam if he chooses to sever ties with the Congress.
Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh. Voting in the state will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. Counting of votes will be held on June 4.