Sanjay Nirupam To Join Shiv Sena Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls, Claims Shinde Camp Leader Sanjay Shirsat

Mumbai: Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam who recently dumped the grand old party is likely to join Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, claimed a Shinde Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat. Shirsat claimed that Sanjay Nirupam may join the Shiv Sena within a day or two. If Sanjay Nirupam will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, this would be decided by leader Eknath Shinde, said the Shiv Sena leader. 

“Sanjay Nirupam should probably come in 1-2 days. Eknath Shinde will decide whether he will contest the elections or not,” said Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat, reported news agency ANI. "PM Modi's eyes are first on Maharashtra and it is our job to give him output. We all have to come together and give this gift to him. Maharashtra does what it says," he added. 

Nirupam had earlier hinted that he would be joining a political party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. A day after parting ways with the Congress, Sanjay Nirupam during a press conference had asserted that he would contest the Lok Sabha poll and win.  To a question on whether he will contest as an independent, he replied in negative.

Tussle Between Congress and Nirupam 

Tussle between Nirupam and Congress began after Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) declared that its candidate, Amot Kirtikar, will contest from Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat-grom where Sanjay Nirupam wished to contest. Nirupam had asked Congress to not submit before Uddhav Sena and demand seats like Mumbai North West and Sangli where Congress has a strong hold. 

However, after his vocal criticism, Congress dropped him from the list of star campaigners, followed by suspension from the party over “indiscipline” for 6 years. Later, Nirupam claimed that he had sent in his resignation to the Congress party after which he was suspended by the party high command. 

Five Lobbies in Congress: Sanjay Nirupam 

Sanjay Nirupam, while speaking to Republic, has also claimed that there are multiple power centres acting within the Congress which are in totally clash with each other. “Earlier there used to be one power centre in the Congress party... but now there are five power centres in the Congress party and all five have their own lobbies which keep clashing with each other...In these five centres, first is Sonia Gandhi, second is Rahul Gandhi, third is Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, fourth is Mallikarjun Kharge and last is Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal ji... all of them are doing politics in their own way,” said Nirupam after parting ways with the Congress party. 

“Congress party is a completely scattered party and the leaders of the party have also said that its ideology is directionless,” said Sanjay Nirupam during a press conference on Thursday. 

Attacking the Congress' secular credentials, Nirupam said, “The Nehruvian secularism which has no place for religion in the society has expired.” "India is a religious country. But the Congress termed the 'pran pratishtha' of Lord Ram (idol of Ram Lalla at a temple) in Ayodhya as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) event, thereby denying the existence of Lord Ram," he said.