Sanjay Nirupam, who faced expulsion from the Congress for six years, alleged on Thursday that the party swiftly acted to expel him immediately after receiving his resignation letter. The former Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MP was ousted from the Congress shortly after criticizing the party leadership during discussions on seat-sharing with Shiv Sena (UBT) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking at a press conference, Nirupam revealed that he had submitted his resignation to Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress President, prior to his expulsion. He lamented the timing of the party’s decision, highlighting the immediate sequence of events.
"...I made an announcement yesterday and sent my resignation to Mallikarjun Kharge at around 10:40. I think right after they made this decision (to expel me from the party)...Congress party is a completely scattered party and the leaders of the party have also said that its ideology is directionless...," he said.
Public declaration
Taking to X, Nirupam shared a screenshot of his resignation email addressed to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, remarking on the expeditious response from the party. He pledged to provide a detailed statement later in the day. Nirupam wrote on X, "Looks like immediately after the party received my resignation letter last night, they decided to issue my expulsion. Good to see such promptness. Just sharing this information."
Dispute over Mumbai seats
Nirupam’s expulsion came after a dispute arose over the allocation of Mumbai’s Lok Sabha seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) unilaterally announcing candidates for several constituencies, including the Mumbai North West seat, which Nirupam sought to contest.
Party resolution and fallout
Following criticism from Nirupam, the Maharashtra Congress passed a resolution seeking his expulsion and removed him from the list of star campaigners. His aspirations to contest from Mumbai North West were thwarted by Shiv Sena (UBT) fielding its candidate.
Electoral history
Nirupam previously contested the Mumbai North West seat in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections but lost to BJP’s Gopal Shetty. Despite expressing interest in recontesting, the emergence of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates complicated his plans.
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