Congress won’t be part of alliance if NCP ties up with MNS: Sanjay Nirupam

Nirupam said the Congress will never join hands with the Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party or All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), as their ideologies do not match with that of Congress.

City Congress president Sanjay Nirupam on Wednesday ruled out an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)  during the Lok Sabha and assembly elections if it decides to ally with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Chief of Congress’ Mumbai unit Sanjay Nirupam ruled out an alliance with the NCP during the Lok Sabha and assembly elections if it decides to ally with the MNS. (HT File)

Nirupam said, “There have been rumours that the MNS will be part of the Congress-NCP alliance for the upcoming elections. These are false. The Congress won’t be party of any alliance the MNS is part of. It will never join hands with Raj Thackeray.”

Nirupam said the Congress will never join hands with the Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party or All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), as their ideologies do not match with that of Congress.

He further advised the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to not join hands with the Raj Thackeray-led MNS. He also said the Congress is looking forward to an alliance with the NCP.

NCP leader Sunil Tatkare termed Nirupam’s statement childish. “I believe he still needs to understand the politics of NCP chief Sharad Pawar,” Tatkare said.

In the past few months, speculations are rife that the NCP will form an alliance with the Congress in the next year’s Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

Meanwhile, Pawar and Thackeray have developed friendly relations, thanks to an interview and a meeting last week.

Nirupam accused MNS of taking law in its hands and resorting to violence and hooliganism to meet its political goals. He also accused the party of spreading communal hatred in society. He said, “With its sons-of-the-soil campaign in Mumbai, the MNS has for long spread hatred bordering on violence against north-Indians.

Nirupam also urged the state government to protect Gujarati businessmen from MNS attacks. MNS workers recently removed Gujarati signboards from shops.