Congress' Sanjay Nirupam Attacks Deora Over Resignation, Accuses Him Of Eyeing National Level Post

The spate of resignations in the Congress party continued on Sunday with Rahul Gandhi loyalists Jyotiraditya Scindia and Milind Deora resigning their posts, taking moral responsibility for the poor electoral show of party.

Image: PTI

New Delhi: As Congress leader Milind Deora resigned from the post of Mumbai Congress president on Sunday, senior leader of the party unit Sanjay Nirupam accused him of hankering for a national-level post. The spate of resignations in the Congress party continued on Sunday with Rahul Gandhi loyalists Jyotiraditya Scindia and Milind Deora resigning their posts. With Nirupam’s allegation, the faultlines in the Mumbai unit of party has been exposed. In his criticism, Nirupam discarded Deora’s suggestion to set up a panel comprising three senior Congress leaders to oversee the Mumbai unit till the Maharashtra Assembly polls, saying such a move would "ruin" the party further. The Assembly polls are due in September-October. "A resignation is linked to the sentiment of sacrifice. In this case, a 'national' level post is being sought. Is this a resignation or a ladder to grow politically? The party should be cautious of such 'hard working' people," Nirupam said in a tweet in Hindi. Deora had replaced Nirupam as the Mumbai Congress chief ahead of the Lok Sabha polls held in April-May. "The idea to appoint a three-member committee to run Mumbai Congress in place of the President is not at all appropriate. It will ruin the party further," Nirupam said in another tweet. Announcing his resignation earlier in the day, Deora said he was looking forward to assume a role at the national level to help stabilise the grand old party. He also said political realities had changed since the Lok Sabha results. "All of us will have to get ready for roles that these times demand," he said. Deora had expressed his desire to quit after meeting former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on June 26. Gandhi himself resigned as the party president on July 3. As in 2014, Deora lost to Union minister Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena from the Mumbai South seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. On Sunday, Scindia resigned as AICC general secretary for Western Uttar Pradesh, Deora resigned as Mumbai Congress chief; both took moral responsibility for the party's poor electoral show in their respective areas. Indian Youth Congress president Keshav Chand Yadav too had resigned Saturday, taking moral responsibility for the poor electoral show. A number of middle-rung leaders have resigned their posts in the Congress, but top leaders have refrained from quitting after Gandhi quit as Congress president. The party's top leadership, which is now looking for a replacement for Gandhi, will have a new team once the new Congress chief is appointed and some more resignations are likely to pour in till then. (Inputs from PTI)