Congress will just win 3-4 seats in Mumbai: Sanjay Nirupam
What's the story
Congress has to rise from the ashes if it wants to stay relevant in Indian politics. And by the looks of it, the grand old party isn't serious about this. This was proved again on Friday when senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said the party will lose all seats in Mumbai, barring 3-4. This development comes weeks before Maharashtra assembly polls. Here's what happened.
Tensions
Why is Congress going through crisis in Mumbai?
For days now, tensions between Nirupam and Milind Deora, another prominent leader of Maharashtra Congress, have been brewing. In March, Deora had replaced Nirupam as president of Congress' Mumbai unit, a decision which naturally infuriated the latter. After Congress failed to win even one Lok Sabha seat in Mumbai, Nirupam went all out against Deora asking him to step up and take the responsibility.
Resignations
Interestingly, Urmila quit Congress after being upset with "petty politics"
Hostility between Congress' "stars" served as a domino effect prompting a couple of resignations. Actress Urmila Matondkar quit Congress last month, saying she is fed up with petty politics. Even Kripashankar Singh quit but he said his decision was driven by Congress' stand on Article 370. To recall, the grand old party opposed BJP's move to bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two UTs.
Details
Apparently, Congress ignored Nirupam's lone suggestion, "shocking" him
The rift widened on Thursday after Nirupam revealed the top brass of Congress ignored his suggestion of fielding Rais Lashkaria from the Versova assembly constituency. According to him, he took up this matter with Mallikarjun Kharge and Jyotiraditya Scindia too, but to no avail. He said, "If the party cannot consider just one proposal, the day is not far when I'll have to quit."
Twitter Post
Will not campaign for Congress, it's my final decision: Nirupam
It seems Congress Party doesn’t want my services anymore. I had recommended just one name in Mumbai for Assembly election. Heard that even that has been rejected.
— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) October 3, 2019
As I had told the leadership earlier,in that case I will not participate in poll campaign.
Its my final decision.
What he said
Sonia's loyalists are working against Rahul, claimed Nirupam
On Friday, Nirupam addressed a press meet where he went all guns blazing against Congress. He claimed people close to UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi are "hatching" a conspiracy against her son and former Congress President Rahul Gandhi. "Congress' hierarchy structure is extremely faulty and will cause the party more problems in the future," Nirupam, dressed in a yellow kurta for the occasion, said.
Quote
Congress will lose deposit, he asserted
"The way candidates have been chosen, in Mumbai, you can leave aside three or four seats. In all the rest, the Congress will lose its deposit (lose so badly that it has to forfeit its deposit money)," he went on.
Complaints
"I understand Congress in Maharashtra like none other"
He also said that he wasn't consulted when choosing candidates for Mumbai North, his "stronghold". "I understand the Congress in Maharashtra like no other leader can. Yet I was not included in decision-making for the polls. If it was just one seat, then I could try and tolerate it. But in the entire district, that I should have no say, is unacceptable," he said.
Twitter Post
Sena alumnus Nirupam is angry with Congress
I hope that the day has not yet come to say good bye to party. But the way leadership is behaving with me, it doesn’t seem far away. https://t.co/B07biJWp5M
— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) October 3, 2019