In a decisive move before the Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Congress has put forth a proposal to expel the rebellious Sanjay Nirupam from the party. Furthermore, Nirupam has been removed from the Congress star campaigners' list. According to sources, the proposal has been passed by the Maharashtra Congress and awaits final decisions from the Congress high command in Delhi. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole stated, 'We have struck off Sanjay Nirupam from the list of star campaigners.'
Following Congress' action, Sanjay Nirupam's statement emerged, urging the party not to waste energy and stationery on him but instead to harness their remaining resources to save the party. 'The party is going through a severe financial crisis. The one-week deadline I had set expires today, and tomorrow I will make my decision,' he said.
What sparked Sanjay Nirupam's ire? Well, Nirupam had wished to contest the Mumbai Northwest seat as a Congress candidate, but the candidate announced there by Shiv Sena UBT was Amol Kirtikar, angering Nirupam. He had previously criticized Shiv Sena UBT for dominating the seat-sharing discussions with Congress.
On the resolution process, Nana Patole commented that they will stake claims on seats where Congress is likely to win, based on merit. 'I am a Congressman, I do not use harsh words as others might,' said Patole. 'We will discuss and resolve which party will contest which seats in today's meeting, a decision which should solely be merit-based. We are all fighting against BJP and have already commenced campaigning.'
