"Congress Leader Sanjay Nirupam Criticizes Uddhav Thackeray Over Premature Candidate Announcement and Alleges Scandal Involvement"

"Congress Leader Sanjay Nirupam Criticizes Premature Candidate Announcement by Uddhav Thackeray, Raises Concerns Over Seat-Sharing Talks in MVA Alliance" Mr Nirupam without mincing words, referred to Uddhav Thackeray as the "bachi khuchi Shiv Sena ke pramukh" (the remaining Shiv Sena's chief).

Amid ongoing seat-sharing negotiations within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in Maharashtra, Sanjay Nirupam, a prominent Congress leader, has strongly criticized Uddhav Thackeray for announcing the candidate for Mumbai's North-West Lok Sabha constituency prematurely. The MVA, comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, is currently in discussions ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Nirupam openly expressed his disappointment over Thackeray's decision to name Amol Kirtikar as the Shiv Sena candidate for the Mumbai North-West constituency before finalizing seat-sharing arrangements within the alliance. The Mumbai North-West seat, which Nirupam himself is eyeing, remains contentious as the alliance has yet to reach an official decision.

Asserting Congress's historical presence in the constituency, Nirupam emphasized his readiness to contest the elections and highlighted the necessity for the decision to be made by his party.

Taking to social media, Nirupam questioned the propriety of announcing the candidate from Shiv Sena without finalizing seat-sharing arrangements, raising doubts about potential alliance breaches or attempts to undermine Congress.

Moreover, Nirupam levied serious allegations against Amol Kirtikar, implicating him in the 'Khichdi Scam', alleging that Kirtikar accepted bribes during the BMC's COVID-era program aimed at providing free food to migrant laborers. Nirupam stated that Kirtikar's involvement in the scheme is under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Asserting his right to speak out as a citizen, Nirupam defended his accusations against Kirtikar, highlighting the ongoing ED investigation into the matter.

Nirupam also pointed out the familial ties between Amol Kirtikar and Gajanan Kirtikar, the sitting MP from the same constituency affiliated with the rival Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Finally, Nirupam questioned the willingness of Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) workers to support a candidate embroiled in a scandal, casting doubt on the effectiveness of their campaign efforts.