Congress expels Sanjay Nirupam for 6 yrs for indiscipline, making anti-party statements

The Congress on Wednesday, 3 April expelled Maharashtra leader Sanjay Nirupam from the party for six years for indiscipline and making anti-party statements.

The action against him came after the Maharashtra unit of the Congress initiated disciplinary action for his recent remarks targeting party ally and Maha Vikas Aghadi member Shiv Sena (UBT) in the state.

"Taking note of complaints of indiscipline and anti-party statements, Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) has approved the expulsion of Sanjay Nirupam from the party for six years with immediate effect," an official communication from the party said.

The Congress has dropped the name of Nirupam, a former MP, as a star campaigner.

The demand for action against Nirupam grew after he castigated the state leadership for "ceding" constituencies in Mumbai to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena during seat-sharing talks for the Lok Sabha elections.

"The Congress 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," state party president Nana Patole told reporters after attending a meeting of the party's campaign committee in Mumbai.

Making light of the party's action, Nirupam raised the "serious financial crisis" in the Congress, apparently alluding to the Income Tax Department's action for tax demand.

"It (Congress) should utilise its energy to save itself, as the party is experiencing a serious financial crisis. The time-frame I had given to the party ends today. I will spell out my next course of action tomorrow," he said in a post on X.

The former MP from Mumbai North, Nirupam, had hit out at the state leadership of the Congress after the Shiv Sena (UBT) declared its candidates for four out of six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai, including the Mumbai North West seat, which Nirupam was believed to be eyeing.

He had also said the Congress leadership shouldn't allow itself to be arm-twisted by the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Accepting the Shiv Sena (UBT's) decision to unilaterally field candidates in Mumbai amounted to allowing the destruction of the Congress, the former Mumbai Congress president had claimed.

Nirupam had quit the Shiv Sena in 2005.