Congress's action against Sanjay Nirupam for remarks against INDIA ally
The Maharashtra division of the Congress is reportedly preparing a proposal to expel party leader Sanjay Nirupam, following his recent controversial remarks about ally Shiv Sena (UBT). The proposal for his expulsion will be sent to the party's top brass in Delhi. The final decision will be made by the disciplinary committee, as decided during a state Congress committee meeting. To recall, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress are part of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance.
Why does this story matter?
Nirupam had shown interest in contesting the Mumbai North-West seat, but Shiv Sena-UBT nominated Amol Kirtikar instead. Following Shiv Sena's candidate announcement, Nirupam said, "The Congress should not come under the threat of Shiv Sena as the party led by Uddhav Thackeray is not capable of winning any seat without Congress." He also launched a personal attack on Thackeray, referring to him as "bachi khuchi Shiv Sena pramukh" and criticizing the division in his party following the Eknath Shinde-led rebellion.
Congress removes Nirupam from key campaigners list
This comes as the Maharashtra Congress removed Nirupam from its list of star campaigners for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Confirming this, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole stated, "We have taken him off as a star campaigner and have also initiated disciplinary action against him over the statements he made." Nirupam's criticism of Shiv Sena (UBT) has been ongoing since it announced its candidates for Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
Nirupam accuses Amol Kirtikar of corruption
The current occupant of the seat is Shiv Sena's Gajanan Kirtikar, who defeated Nirupam in the 2019 election. He also took aim at Amol Kirtikar, who is Gajanan's son besides being the nominee from the seat that he is vying for. Nirupam accused the latter of accepting bribes during a free food initiative for migrant laborers amid the Covid pandemic, known as the "Khichdi Scam."
Nirupam's future plans and invitations from other parties
As the matter exacerbates, Nirupam has hinted at his future plans, stating that he is awaiting the high command's decision on the issues he raised and added that "all options are open for me." Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Maharashtra BJP president, has extended an invitation to Nirupam to join BJP if his ideologies align with the party. Similarly, Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat expressed that Nirupam would be welcomed if he chooses to depart from Congress.