Former Mumbai Congress Chief Sanjay Nirupam has called on the party leadership to sever ties with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) shortly after the latter's party released its first list of 17 candidates for the Lok Sabha Elections in Maharashtra.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Nirupam stated, "Shiv Sena should refrain from taking an extreme stance. This could result in significant losses for the Congress. I urge the attention of Congress leadership to step in; if not, then consider ending the alliance to safeguard the party. The decision to ally with Shiv Sena may ultimately prove self-destructive for Congress."
Shiv Sena (UBT)'s First list
Shiv Sena UBT released its much anticipated list of candidates ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on Wednesday. The first list consists of 17 candidates with Anil Desai being fielded from the South Central seat. Sitting MP Arvind Sawant has been fielded from the South Mumbai seat, with Amol Kirtikar being fielded from the North West constituency. Interestingly, Amol's father Gajanan Kirtikar who is the former MP from the North West Mumbai seat, joined the CM Shinde-led Shiv Sena after the Sena split.
Sanjay Nirupam is reportedly dissatisfied with the party leadership, particularly following recent discussions within political circles indicating that Uddhav Thackeray's party is likely to nominate candidates for the majority of Mumbai seats from the Maha Vikas Aghadi Alliance quota.
On several occasions, Nirupam has expressed concerns that if this materializes, the party's Mumbai cadre will suffer a moral setback.
A few days ago, he also questioned the grand old party's decision to support Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal after his arrest by the ED. Questioning the morality, Nirupam wrote in a social media post, "The truth about Delhi's liquor scam needs to be determined by the court. But an allegation of corruption in this scam has been leveled against a Chief Minister. He has been arrested. He is in custody, yet he continues to cling to the position of Chief Minister. What kind of morality is this?"
Congress will have to pay price
Recently, he retweeted a post by another user which said, "Congress should be concerned about its firebrand and powerful leader (Nirupam). Otherwise, it will have to pay the price in Mumbai, that's for sure!"
Nirupam's recent statements and activities are seen as indications of his possible departure from the party. Political observers do not rule out the possibility that in the coming days, feeling neglected in the Congress, Nirupam may join the BJP.
(With inputs from ANI)
