New Delhi: The Maharashtra unit of the Congress is contemplating the expulsion of party leader Sanjay Nirupam following his recent verbal onslaught against ally  Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, regarding seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. The proposal to expel Nirupam will be forwarded to the Congress high command in Delhi, with the party's disciplinary committee entrusted with the final decision.

The decision was reached during a meeting of the state Congress committee, which also resolved to remove Nirupam from the party's list of star campaigners in the lead-up to the polls. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole affirmed, “We have taken him off as a star campaigner and have also initiated disciplinary action against him over the statements he made.”

Cash-starved Congress shouldn’t waste energy on me: Sanjay Nirupam 

In a scathing attack on his own party, the Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam spoke about his party’s financial woes, stating he would “make a decision tomorrow” amid buzz of action over his comments against INDIA bloc allies.

“The Congress shouldn’t waste its energy and stationery on me but should conserve it to save the party. The party is anyway facing a massive financial challenge. I gave a week’s time and that ends today. I will make a decision tomorrow,” he wrote on social media site X.

Why is Sanjay Nirupam embroiled? 

Former MP Sanjay Nirupam has been embroiled in a heated dispute with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, particularly concerning the Mumbai North-West seat. Nirupam aspires to contest the seat, but Shiv Sena has nominated Amol Kirtikar. The seat is currently held by Shiv Sena's Gajanan Kirtikar, who defeated Nirupam in the 2019 election. Gajanan Kirtikar sided with Eknath Shinde after the Shiv Sena split. Gajanan Kirtikar has now said that he would not contest against his son. The BJP, it is learnt, wants to field its candidate there as part of its seat-sharing understanding with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Nirupam's scathing remarks against the Shiv Sena leadership, accusing them of arm-twisting the Congress and alleging corruption against Amol Kirtikar, have further escalated tensions within the alliance. His criticism has prompted speculation about his future political alignment, with hints suggesting a potential switch to either BJP or Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Maharashtra BJP on Nirupam’s case 

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule extended a welcoming gesture to Nirupam, expressing readiness to embrace him if his ideologies resonate with the BJP. 

Similarly, Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat indicated that Nirupam would be welcomed into the party fold should he decide to depart from Congress.

As the political drama unfolds in Maharashtra, Nirupam's impending decision looms large, potentially reshaping the state's political landscape.