Rift in MVA? Congress Leader Rips Into Uddhav Thackeray Over Announcement of Mumbai's North-West LS Seat Candidate

Last Updated: March 10, 2024, 16:39 IST

Amid seat-sharing discussions between Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties in Maharashtra ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for prematurely announcing the candidate for Mumbai’s North-West Lok Sabha constituency.

Nirupam, in an X post, referred to Thackeray as “bachi khuchi Sena ke pramukh (chief of remaining Shiv Sena) and stressed that premature declaration of Amol Kirtikar’s candidacy for Mumbai’s North-West seat was a “violation of alliance dharma”.

Shiv Sena (UBT) declared the candidate for the Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha constituency before seat-sharing arrangements were finalised in MVA, Nirupam said.

“Despite two dozen meetings of MVA the final decision on seat sharing has not been taken yet. This seat is also among the 8-9 seats which are pending. Then isn’t announcing the candidate from Shiv Sena a violation of alliance dharma? Or is such an act being done deliberately to humiliate Congress?” Sanjay Nirupam said in an X post, adding that the party’s top brass should intervene in the matter.

Sanjay Nirupam further targeted the candidate proposed by Shiv Sena(UBT) for the said seat saying he is a “scammer of Khichdi scam. He has taken bribe in check from the Khichdi supplier”.

“During the Covid era, there was a commendable program of providing free food to forced migrant laborers by BMC. Shiv Sena’s proposed candidate has taken commission from the scheme of feeding the poor. ED Investigating the entire matter. Will Congress and Shiv Sena workers campaign for such a scam candidate?” the Congress leader said.

“Shiv Sena says that this was their seat. Let me remind them that Congress has always had the maximum number of candidates from this seat. I will contest the elections, I have been preparing for the North West seat for five years, the decision has to be taken by my Congress party,” Nirupam stated at a press conference, an NDTV report said.

Amol Kirtikar’s father, Gajanan Kirtikar, is the sitting MP from the same constituency and is associated with the rival Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.