Sanjay Nirupam group comes to blows with Gurudas Kamat's supporters over planning RaGa's Jan 15-16 engagements in city

BJP in introspection mode after numbing defeat

Members of two factions came to blows on Tuesday at the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) office at a meeting called to finalise party vice-president Rahul Gandhi's engagements when he visits the city of January 15 and 16.Supporters of Sanjay Nirupam, the party's city chief, and the followers of his bitter rival Gurudas Kamat clashed over Gandhi's first stop in the city. While Nirupam wanted it to be his north Mumbai constituency, Kamat's men said the visit should start with Gandhi inaugurating the Murli Deora hall at the MRCC office followed by an interaction with journalists.The clash mainly involved Chandivali MLA and former minister Naseem Khan, who owes allegiance Kamat, and Nirupam acolyte and Malwani MLA Aslam Shaikh. A war of words between the two snowballed into fisticuffs and the warring MLAs had to be physically separated by other leaders.The clash was triggered after Shaikh taunted Khan that he and his supporters were incapable of getting even a corporator elected. Kamat supporters led by Khan reacted by raising slogans like: 'Naseem Khan Zindabad,' 'Rahul Gandhi Zindabad' and 'Aslam Shaikh Murdabad'.This was followed by Khan and Shaikh raining blows at each other, as others tried to separate them.Congress sources said that Nirupam later called Khan to his cabin and apologised on Shaikh's behalf. The two sparring leaders were then made to patch up and make a statement before the media.Sources said the heated exchange of expletives in front of women Congressmen like Priya Dutt and Varsha Gaikwad left them embarrassed.Former MP Milind Deora said although differences exist in every party, everybody wanted to work unitedly for the success of the vicepresident's visit.With the Congress performing well in the recently concluding municipal council elections, winning 106 of the 345 up for grabs, the stakes in the party have suddenly increased. With the BJP relegated to the third spot with just 45 seats, the Congressmen have sniffed an opportunity to regain power in the state.Nirupam and Kamat are old rivals and Tuesday's clash was just the beginning of a long battle. Last month, an article in party magazine 'Congress Darpan' criticising Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had led to a big row. Since Nirupam and MRCC chief controls the magazine, it had proved to be a big embarrassment for him. Alleging a conspiracy, his supporters had blamed rival groups of slipping in the article without Nirupam's permission.With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation scheduled to go to polls in 2017, the Kamat group wants Nirupam out of MRCC this year.Meanwhile, during his tour to Mumbai on January 15 and 16, Gandhi will hold an interactive session with students at Narsee Monjee College at Juhu which is controlled by Congress MLC Amberish Patel. He will also lead arally between Bandra and Dharavi to protest against high power tariffs.Stunned after its defeat in the municipal council polls, the state BJP will hold a 'chintan baithak' on January 23 and 24 at Lonavala.The state BJP will also discuss the steady decline in popularity of the party and top leaders like CM Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP chief Raosaheb Danve, union minister Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar and others will attend. BJP chief Amit Shah may also come for the meet.The Congress bagged 106 of the 345 seats in the municipal elections; while the NCP came second with 82 seats, the BJP finished a distant third with just 45 seats. Jamkhed municipal council, hometown of BJP minister of state Ram Shinde, was captured by the NCP.