Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday initiated disciplinary action against its leader Sanjay Nirupam for his alleged anti-party activities. The party has dropped Mr. Nirupam from its star campaigner list and also sent a proposal to the party high command for his expulsion from the party.
The former Mumbai Congress president and Lok Sabha member has been upset since Uddhav Thackeray announced the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, where he wanted to contest. There is also a strong buzz that Mr. Nirupam is talking to the BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for the candidature from the same constituency.
“Sanjay Nirupam will switch parties through ex-Congress leader Ashok Chavan. He will join the BJP or Shiv Sena depending upon which party gets Mumbai North West seat,” a Mahayuti leader said.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said that disciplinary action has been taken against Mr. Nirupam because he has been making statements against the party. “It is like he has taken a supari (contract) from someone,” Mr. Patole said.
The state Congress chief said that the party will not seek any explanation from Mr. Nirupam.
A senior Congress leader informed that the state unit has sent a proposal to the party high command for Mr Nirupam’s expulsion. “It is expected that the party disciplinary committee will expel Mr. Nirupam from the party,” he said.
After learning about disciplinary action against him, Mr. Nirupam took a dig at the party leadership and said that he would announce his future course of action on Thursday. “Congress Party should not waste much of its energy and stationery on me. Instead, use whatever little is left to save the party. Anyway, the party is going through a severe financial crisis. I had given one week’s time to decide on my demands, which got over today. I will make my decision tomorrow,” he said in Hindi in a post on his X account.
Mr. Nirupam, who was an ex-Lok Sabha member from the Mumbai North seat during 2009 to 2014 and former Mumbai Congress chief, has been defeated twice in the last two general elections. Earlier this week, he had lashed out at Maharashtra Congress leadership after the Shiv Sena (UBT) declared candidates on four out of six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai. He had said that accepting the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s decision would amount to the destruction of the Congress party in the city. He had also opposed the alliance between the Shiv Sena (united) with Congress party in 2019 stating it was not a natural alliance.
