assembly-elections

Updated: Oct 14, 2019 15:01 IST

Sulking Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam once again put the strained ties within the party’s Mumbai unit out in the open with a tweet, which is seen as an attack on Milind Deora.

Sanjay Nirupam’s tweet was a response to speculation over his absence at the election rallies address by Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai on Sunday.

“Speculations and suspicions about my absence in RG’s Mumbai rallies are meaningless. Due to an important family function I was very busy whole day, rather till late night. Had informed him in advance. He is my leader and he will be always the same for me. But why was Nikamma absent (sic)?” Nirupam tweeted.

The former chief of Congress’ Mumbai unit, however, did not name anyone.

This is the second time Nirupam is training his guns at Milind Deora calling him nikamma or useless in Hindi. He had also said earlier this month that the party will never benefit from leaders like Deora.

Before this, Sanjay Nirupam and Milind Deora jostled with each other after actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar quit the Congress in September blaming “petty in-house politics” for the decision.

Matondkar had written to Milind Deora, who was the Mumbai Congress chief then, against Nirupam and his aides. The letter she claimed was leaked to the media.

Nirupam had hit out at Deora after Matondkar’s letter became public and claimed that “young leader who desires to stabilise party at national level has released copies of complaint letter”.

Deora got back saying that the party is bigger than any individual. Both had lost the Lok Sabha elections from South Mumbai and Mumbai North West respectively.

A disgruntled Sanjay Nirupam had declared on October 3 that he would not be a part of the poll campaign for the October 21 Maharashtra election. He had made it clear that he was upset after the party had rejected his suggestion for candidates.