Cash-starved Congress Shouldn’t Waste Energy, Stationery on Me, Says Sanjay Nirupam after Party Threatens Action

Maharashtra Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Wednesday took a dig at his party’s financial woes, saying he would “make a decision tomorrow” amid buzz of action over his comments against INDIA bloc allies.

“The Congress shouldn’t waste its energy and stationery on me but should conserve it to save the party. The party is anyway facing a massive financial challenge. I gave a week’s time and that ends today. I will make a decision tomorrow,” he wrote on social media site X.

Nirupam’s post came shortly after Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said at a press conference that the party had initiated steps over the former MP’s recent controversial comments.

“We have taken him off as a star campaigner and have also initiated disciplinary action against him over the statements he made,” said Patole.

Nirupam had launched a barrage of attacks on the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) after the Congress ally announced its candidates for several Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.

Sources say Nirupam wanted to contest from the Mumbai North-West constituency, but the Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced Amol Kirtikar as its candidate for the seat currently held by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s Gajanan Kirtikar. Kirtikar defeated Nirupam in the 2019 election.

“Out of six (Lok Sabha) seats in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest on five, and one seat has been left for the Congress, like charity. This decision is aimed at burying the Congress in Mumbai. I oppose this decision,” Nirupam had said earlier. “I want to tell the top leadership (of Congress) that I will wait for at most a week and then make a decision. All options are open for me.”