A war of words broke out between the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) after Uddhav Thackeray announced that Amol Kirtikar would be his party’s candidate from the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which also includes the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Uddhav Thackeray’s announcement of the candidate for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency comes even as the MVA allies are yet to officially announce its seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha elections, likely to be held in April-May.
In a lengthy post on X, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who has been eyeing on what he says the party’s “traditional” seat, questioned whether the decision of Shiv Sena (UBT) to announce its candidate “violated the alliance dharma”.
“Despite two dozen meetings of MVA, the final decision on seat-sharing has not been taken yet. This seat is also among the eight to nine seats which are pending and this is what the Congress colleagues who are participating in the seat-sharing meetings have told me,” he said.
“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? The top leadership of Congress should intervene,” he added.
The Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat is currently represented by Gajanan Kirtikar, Amol Kirtikar’s father, since 2014. Interestingly, Gajanan Kirtikar is affiliated to the rival Shiv Sena headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Hitting out at Amol Kirtikar, Sanjay Nirupam alleged that he was a “scammer” in the alleged Covid ‘khichdi scam’.
“He has taken a bribe in cheque from the Khichdi supplier… During the Covid era, there was a commendable programme of providing free food to forced migrant labourers by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. But Shiv Sena’s proposed candidate has taken commission from the scheme of feeding the poor,” he wrote on X.
“The Enforcement Directorate is investigating the entire matter. Will Congress and Shiv Sena workers campaign for such a scam candidate? This is my humble question to the leadership of both parties,” he further said.
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) hit back at Sanjay Nirupam and said he should inform the Congress about his desire to contest elections and not on social media platforms.
“Sanjay Nirupam lost the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019. He does not even hold a portfolio in his party. Maybe, this is why he was not being invited to the INDIA bloc or MVA meetings. When we won the Mumbai North-West seat in 2019, it was our right to contest that seat again,” Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
“If Sanjay Nirupam wants to contest elections again, he should tell this to the Congress and not on social media platforms,” he said.
The Congress last won the Mumbai North West seat in 2009.
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