Tomorrow I will take decision: Sanjay Nirupam being dropped from campaigners list

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Wednesday said that he will take the decision tomorrow whether he will remain in the Congress party or leave it after the grand old party dropped his name from the star campaigner's list for his recent remarks against INDIA block partner, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), over seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha election. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said, "His name (Sanjay Nirupam) was mentioned in the star campaigners, which has been cancelled. The kind of statements he has been making, action will be taken."

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state Congress committee held at at Tilak Bhavan today. Soon, after the Congress' announcement, Sanjay Nirupam posted on X and said that tomorrow he will take the decision to leave the party by himself.

"Congress Party should not waste much energy and stationery for me. Instead, use it to save the party. Anyway, the party is going through a severe financial crisis. The period of one week that I had given has been completed today. Tomorrow I will take the decision myself," he said. Sanjay Nirupam was keen to contest from Mumbai North West seat but after the seat-sharing, the seat went to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amot Kirtikar.

Hours after the Shiv Sena (UBT) released its first list of candidates in Maharashtra for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, naming Amol Kirtikar from Mumbai North West parliamentary constituency among others, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam warned the Sena for taking an "extreme stand" and suggested that the Congress party's alliance with them might prove to be "self-destructive." "Shiv Sena should not take an extreme stand. This will cause a huge loss to Congress. I want to attract the attention of Congress leadership to intervene, if not then break the alliance to save the party. The decision of an alliance with Shiv Sena will prove self-destructive for Congress and its impact will be felt in Maharashtra and even beyond," Nirupam said speaking to reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.

Speaking about his future course of action, Nirpuam said, "Now all options are open for me. I will wait for one week and take my decision." Nirpuam who had represented Mumbai North in 2009 in the Lok Sabha said that the decision of the Shiv Sena to field candidates in Mumbai, is meant to side-line the Congress.

The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats.

The undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four.