Sanjay Nirupam is expected to join Eknath Shinde' Shiv Sena. He may contest from Mumbai North West, sources said. 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.
Nirupam, who was eyeing the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, was miffed with the party for allowing the Shiv Sena (UBT) to take the seat for the upcoming parliamentary polls.
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.
