Sanjay Nirupam has said that he resigned from the Congress before being expelled
Mumbai:
Sanjay Nirupam, who was expelled by the Congress yesterday, has alleged that the party issued the expulsion letter immediately after he submitted his resignation last night. In a post on X, the former MP shared his resignation letter, dated April 3. “It seems that immediately after the party received my resignation letter last night, they decided to carry out my expulsion. Good to see so quickly. Just share I will give a detailed statement today between 11:30 PM and 12:00 PM,” he said in the mail.
It seems that immediately after the party received my resignation letter last night, they decided to issue my expulsion.
Good to see so much speed.
Just share this information.
I will make a detailed statement today between 11:30 PM and 12:00 PM pic.twitter.com/3Wil8OaxuE— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) April 4, 2024
Mr Nirupam was yesterday expelled by the Congress for six years on grounds of indiscipline and anti-party statements.
The action followed the Mumbai leader’s scathing remarks against Congress’s INDIA ally Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) over seat-sharing in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections.
“Following 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 release from the party said.
The Maharashtra unit of the Congress had yesterday urged action against Mr Nirupam. He was also dropped from the party’s list of star campaigners for the upcoming polls.
Nirupam wanted to contest the elections from the northwest Mumbai seat where he lost to Shiv Sena’s Gajanan Kirtikar last time. But the Uddhav Thackeray-led party announced Amol Kirtikar – Gajanan Kirtikar’s son – as its candidate. After this, Mr Nirupam had said that the state Congress leadership should not face trouble from Mr Thackeray’s party and said the Sena faction cannot win a single seat without the support of the Congress. In a personal attack on Mr Thackeray, he described him as the head of “Bachi Khuchi Shiv Sena”.
He had also accused his candidate, Amol Kirtikar, of being involved in irregularities in a free food scheme during Covid, popularly known as Khichdi Scam.
Incumbent MP Gajanan Kirtikar, who sided with the Eknath Shinde camp when the Shiv Sena split, has withdrawn from the fray after the Uddhav Thackeray faction backed his son as its candidate.
The BJP, it is learnt, wants to field its candidate to Mumbai North West as part of its seat-sharing deal with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Mr Nirupam, who switched from the Shiv Sena to the Congress in 2005, had earlier said that “all options are open” to him.
Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule has said that people like Nirupam are “always welcome” if his thoughts align with the BJP. “Given Sanjay Nirupam’s political tenure, he has done a lot of work to connect people with the Congress. It is well recognized in North India. Talks with Sanjay Nirupam have not taken place yet, but if he is ready and his thoughts are aligned with the BJP, people like him are always welcome,” he said.
The Eknath Shinde-led Sena has also sent out feelers. “If he wants to join us, we welcome him. However, the final decision in this regard rests with Eknath Shinde,” MLA Sanjay Shirsat said.
