The Congress party said on Wednesday that it has initiated disciplinary action against former MP Sanjay Nirupam after his scathing remarks against the leadership amid the seat-sharing talks with Shiv Sena (UBT).
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said a decision about Nirupam will be taken in a day or two and that the party has already dropped him from the list of star campaigners.
"The party has dropped Nirupam's name from the list of star campaigners and disciplinary action has been initiated against him for his utterances against the party and the state unit leadership. A decision will be taken in a day or two," Patole told reporters in Mumbai.
Soon after the Congress’s announcement, Nirupam, a former MP from Mumbai North, said he will take a decision by tomorrow (Thursday) on whether to leave the party.
"The 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 in a post on X.
Nirupam had taken potshots at the Congress leadership after the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray declared its candidates for four out of six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai.
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.
The former MP had said that accepting the Shiv Sena (UBT's) decision to unilaterally field candidates in Mumbai amounted to allowing the destruction of Congress.
The Congress leadership shouldn't allow itself to be arm-twisted by Shiv Sena (UBT), he had said.
“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 had said.
