A verbal confrontation erupted between the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) following the announcement by Uddhav Thackeray that Amol Kirtikar would be fielded as the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Notably, the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), alongside the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Uddhav Thackeray's decision regarding the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat comes at a time when the MVA allies have yet to finalize their seat-sharing arrangement for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, anticipated to take place in April-May.
Expressing his discontent in a detailed post on X, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who has been vying for what he regards as the party's "traditional" seat, raised concerns about whether the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s unilateral candidate announcement breached the alliance's principles.
"Despite numerous MVA meetings, no conclusive decision has been reached on seat allocation. This constituency is among the pending eight to nine seats, as communicated to me by fellow Congress members engaged in the deliberations," he remarked.
"Is the Shiv Sena's premature candidate declaration a breach of the alliance's principles? Or is it a deliberate act to belittle the Congress? The top brass of the Congress party should step in," he urged.
The Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency is presently represented by Gajanan Kirtikar, Amol Kirtikar's father, since 2014. Interestingly, Gajanan Kirtikar belongs to the rival faction of Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
In a scathing attack on Amol Kirtikar, Sanjay Nirupam accused him of involvement in an alleged Covid 'khichdi scam'.
"He has purportedly received a bribe in the form of a cheque from the Khichdi supplier... Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had commendably initiated a scheme to provide free meals to stranded migrant laborers. However, the proposed Shiv Sena candidate has allegedly taken kickbacks from the scheme aimed at feeding the needy," he alleged.
"The Enforcement Directorate is currently investigating the entire affair. Would Congress and Shiv Sena workers campaign for a candidate embroiled in such a scandal? This is my earnest question to the leadership of both parties," he continued.
Responding to Sanjay Nirupam's allegations, the Shiv Sena (UBT) refuted his claims and asserted that Nirupam should communicate his electoral aspirations to the Congress leadership rather than resorting to social media platforms.
"Sanjay Nirupam faced defeat in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 and 2019 and does not hold any significant position within his party. Perhaps, this is why he was excluded from the INDIA bloc or MVA meetings. When we secured victory in the Mumbai North-West constituency in 2019, it was our prerogative to contest the seat again," remarked Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey, as reported by news agency ANI.
"If Sanjay Nirupam intends to contest elections once more, he should convey this to the Congress leadership instead of resorting to social media platforms," Dubey concluded.
The Mumbai North West seat was last won by the Congress in 2009.
