Sanjay Nirupam gets knuckles rapped

Mumbai: In a strong message from Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, his emissary and senior congress leader Bhoopinder Singh Hooda asked Mumbai congress leaders “to restrain while speaking anything, which could hurt the party’s image.” “This is election time. Anything to be done (for party organisation) will be done only after election. So it would be good for all of us to concentrate on the election first,” said Hooda while talking to core committee leaders of Mumbai Congress, on Wednesday.

“Outcome of the election will be a collective responsibility. Consult all senior leaders before making any decision,” said sources while quoting Mr Hooda. Interestingly, senior leader Gurudas Kamat whose recent tweet had brought Congress internal disputed into public eye, was not present for the meeting. Mr Kamat was in Udaypur, Rajasthan and would meet Hooda in Delhi, in the next few days.

Mr Hooda was in Mumbai soon after the party’s internal problems became distinct when party’s former MLA Krishna Hegade left party to join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Following which, Kamat had taken to the micro-blogging website accusing Sanjay Nirupam for the exodus from the party. Earlier Mr Kamat had rescued himself from party work in middle of crucial Brihanmumbai Muncipal Council (BMC) elections expressing dissatisfaction against Mr Nirupam. Congress high command intervened and sent Hooda to pacify the sulking leaders.

Hooda met the senior leaders from State Congress before meeting Mumbai Congress core committee where Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan, senior leader Narayn Rane and others also conveyed their displeasure over Mr Nirupam’s working style, Sources said, Mr Chavan told Mr Hooda that Mr Nirupam took the decision to go solo in the election without consulting others. Senior leaders who have been playing major role in the city Congress for decades were not on board, complained Chavan. Rane also said to have targeted Nirupam. “Alliance with NCP is necessity in Mumbai. But, Nirupam doesn’t even ask leaders about issues to be highlighted in the manifesto,” a source quoted Rane.

Nirupam, however, denied any such discussion. “We all are together. All internal issues will be dealt with after the election results,” he said. Hooda who spoke to the media after the meetings said, “It is an internal issue of Congress and we will solve it internally. The issue is not who will contest an election. Party will take a final decision on that. Mat anek, paksha ek (Varied views, party one).”