Traitor, who?

Sanjay Nirupam insists he did not betray the Shiv Sena and resigned from his RS seat over ideological differences; says the BJP-Sena cannot write off the Congress

Shiv Sainik-turned-Congressman Sanjay Nirupam wants to prove to his previous party, that he isn't a traitor who betrayed its founder, late Bal Thackeray. He refutes the charge that his opponent has levelled against him, but says he quit the Sena over differences with the top leadership. The two-time Rajya Sabha MP is contesting from the Mumbai North West constituency, where his opponent is the Shiv Sena's Gajanan Kirtikar.

'Not a traitor'

Nirupam insisted that he is not the traitor he was made out to be by some in the Sena. He claimed that he did not work against the party when he was part of it, and gave up his RS seat over ideological differences with Sena founder Thackeray. "I haven't said a bad word about Balasaheb," he particularly mentions.

Speaking on his pro-north Indian and anti-Marathi image, he termed it a "false narrative." "I have explained to my voters my stand over the issue of hawking. People know me here for 25 years. If I was anti-Marathi, why would Maharashtrians come out in large numbers to support me? Voters in the slums and high-rises are with me. I am sure a majority of the 20% north Indians here will vote for me," he said.

A former proponent of Hindutva, the Congress leader now feels that such an agenda does not matter in Mumbai where people are troubled by the lack of basic needs such as water supply, sanitation, better roads etc. He blamed the Shiv Sena-BJP for not providing these basic necessities despite ruling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for 30 years.

'Congress is ahead'

But Nirupam is positive about the prospects of the Congress in Mumbai. He feels this situation has changed in the past couple of years. "Presently, the BJP-Sena cannot just write us off. We are clearly ahead in all six seats because of our party's all inclusiveness," he said.

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