As election campaigns intensify, the main opposition party, Congress, faces relentless set-backs, losing three prominent faces within a span of just 24 hours. Wednesday afternoon witnessed international boxer Vijender Singh switch allegiance from Congress to BJP. Shortly thereafter, Congress ousted Sanjay Nirupam from the party. By Thursday morning, the party's assertive spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh also tendered his resignation, signaling a significant loss for Congress amidst electoral battles.
Why did Vijender Singh leave Congress?
Olympic medalist and international boxer Vijender Singh (38) has joined BJP, leaving behind Congress. He was welcomed at the BJP headquarters on Wednesday after actively supporting Congress on social media until Tuesday night. In a sudden turn of events, Singh announced his shift to BJP, committed to work under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, citing increased respect for athletes at home and abroad. Vijender debuted in politics in 2019, contesting South Delhi's seat on a Congress ticket, but lost to BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri.
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Vijender, hailing from the Jat community, sparked discussions of contesting from his ancestral Bhiwani seat. However, Congress was preparing to pit him against Hema Malini from the Mathura seat. Right before the ticket announcement, he switched sides. BJP has fielded its candidates in all Haryana seats, aiming to appeal to Jat voters across Haryana, Western UP, and Rajasthan through Singh.
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Maharashtra bids adieu to Sanjay Nirupam as well
The tumult in Maharashtra Congress does not appear to subside anytime soon. For his party-opposing remarks, Congress banished Sanjay Nirupam for six years; however, Nirupam claims his resignation came first, followed by the party's announcement. Previously, both Ashok Chavan and Milind Deora severed ties with the party. Nirupam, having served both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, faced expulsion after criticizing party leadership during seat-sharing talks with Shiv Sena (UBT). He was later removed from the list of star campaigners and ultimately from the party.
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Post-expulsion from Congress, what's the road ahead for Sanjay Nirupam? An announcement expected soon
Nirupam, a former Mumbai North MP, was eyeing the Mumbai North-West seat this time. But the Uddhav Thackeray faction unilaterally declared its candidates for four of Mumbai's six Lok Sabha seats, including the North-West, to Nirupam's discontent.
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Congress enforces action against Sanjay Nirupam, expels him for six years
Dynamic spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh also leaves Congress
On the cusp of Lok Sabha elections, Congress suffers yet another hit. National spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh resigned on Thursday. In a letter to party chief Mallikarjun Khadge, Vallabh criticized the party's 'lack of direction' and cited reasons such as opposition to caste-based census for his resignation. He stated he couldn't raise anti-establishment slogans. Vallabh has been an outspoken advocate for Ashok Gehlot amidst controversies involving Sachin Pilot and managed Khadge's campaign during the presidential elections for Congress. Known for his economic insight within the party, Vallabh had also contested from Udaipur in the 2023 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly elections, but was defeated by BJP's Tara Chand Jain by over 32,000 votes. His first electoral contest was from Jamshedpur East in 2019.
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Gaurav Vallabh, famous for his 'trillion dollar question' to Sambit Patra, feels disillusioned with Congress
Also, a Chartered Accountant and Economics Professor
Gaurav Vallabh is renowned for his expertise in economics. He has served as a Chartered Accountant and Economics professor. He gained immense popularity for a debate video with BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, where he famously asked Patra the number of zeros in a trillion—an incident that occurred during a discussion on the government's economic goals.
