Reacting to the party’s expulsion letter, the ex-Congress leader took a dig at the party’s “promptness,” claiming that he was suspended soon after he resigned.
The former MP from Mumbai North shared a screenshot of his letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on X and said, “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. I will give a detailed statement today between 11:30 to 12 PM.”
“I have finally decided to fulfill your much-awaited desire and hereby announce that I choose to resign from the primary membership of All India Congress Committee. This communication may be considered as my resignation letter. Kindly acknowledge the same,” the leader wrote in his resignation.
Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal in a statement on Wednesday night said, “Taking note of the complaints of indiscipline and anti-party statements, the Honorable Congress President has approved the expulsion of Shri Sanjay Nirupam from the party for six years with immediate effect,” Venugopal said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Congress had also revoked Nirupam’s name from the star campaigners list for the upcoming Lok Sabha national elections in 2024.
Sanjay Nirupam’s relationship with the party soured after Congress, under the seat-sharing agreement, decided to let go of Mumbai North West for Amot Kirtikar, a candidate from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), which is part of the INDIA bloc.
Nirupam, who had represented Mumbai North in the Lok Sabha in 2009, said that the Shiv Sena’s decision to field candidates in Mumbai was intended to marginalize the Congress.
With 48 Lok Sabha seats, Maharashtra is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of the 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 seats. The undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four.
(With ANI inputs)
