Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, while reacting to Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam’s remarks against party candidate from Mumbai North West constituency Amol Kirtikar, said that Nirupam is speaking the language of BJP while being in Congress. She further hoped that the Congress leader might compromise to follow ‘alliance dharm’.

Read here: Uddhav fielding a ‘khichdi chor’: Sanjay Nirupam’s dig over Shiv Sena (UBT)

“First of all, he didn’t speak on behalf of Congress. He gave his personal opinion…He has expressed his displeasure. This is unfortunate, I hope that he understands that sometimes it is essential to compromise in ‘alliance dharm’,” news agency ANI quoted Chaturvedi as saying.

While reacting to the allegations linked to the Khichdi scam, the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP said that the charges are being levelled against Kirtikar because they know that it will be difficult for the BJP to defeat him.

“As far as the scam (COVID Khichdi scam) is concerned, he is speaking BJP’s language while being in Congress…Allegations are being levelled against Amol Kirtikar because they know that it will be difficult for the BJP to defeat him,” he added.

Chaturvedi’s remarks came hours after former Rajya Sabha MP Nirupam took a potshot at Uddhav Thackeray for independently announcing the candidates on the four Mumbai seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, saying that the party has deliberately fielded a ‘khichdi chor’ from the seat where he was presenting a strong candidature.

Read here: Sanjay Nirupam’s ‘all options open’ warning as trouble mounts for MVA after Shiv Sena (UBT) list

“The candidate that Shiv Sena has fielded from northwest Mumbai – where I was presenting a strong candidature – took bribes from the contractor in COVID Khichdi scam. ED is probing it…Shiv Sena is deliberately fielding such a ‘Khichdi chor’. This has hurt Congress cadres. I am upset too. I am sad that our negotiators didn’t present Congress party’s stand strongly…Shiv Sena (UBT) has attempted to suppress Congress,” Nirupam said.

The senior Congress leader also urged the grand old party to consider pulling the plug on their alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT) as the latter is attempting to suppress and finish the Congress in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena (UBT), a constituent of the opposition MVA, released its first list of 17 candidates in Maharashtra and said it would contest 22 of the 48 seats in the state.

Read here: Sanjay Nirupam lashes out at Uddhav over announcement of Mumbai North West seat

Kirtikar, son of MP Gajanan Kirtikar, who has been named as the candidate from Mumbai North-West seat, was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged irregularities in the distribution of ‘khichdi’ to migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, senior leader Anil Desai has been named from Mumbai South Central, and MP Arvind Sawant has been fielded from the South Mumbai seat.

The polls in Maharashtra would be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats.

(With inputs from ANI)