Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has made a significant political move by joining the Shiv Sena, under the leadership of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. His return to Shiv Sena marks a full circle in his political journey, having left the undivided Shiv Sena, led by Bal Thackeray, 19 years ago. This shift comes after the Congress party expelled Nirupam for alleged "anti-party activities" last month, leading to his current position within the Shiv Sena as the deputy leader and spokesperson.
Starting his political career as the editor of 'Dophar Ka Saamana', the Hindi mouthpiece of Shiv Sena, in the 1990s, Nirupam later became known as the party's North Indian face. Following his entry into politics with Shiv Sena, he transitioned to the Congress party in 2005 and was appointed as the general secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. Throughout his political tenure, Nirupam held various positions within the Congress party and even won the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat in the 2009 elections, where he defeated BJP veteran Ram Naik.
Nirupam's recent fallout with the state Congress leadership, particularly after opposing the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance involving Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena, led to his expulsion from the party for six years due to indiscipline and anti-party statements. Chief Minister Shinde expressed his approval of Nirupam's return to Shiv Sena, highlighting his previous contributions to the party's reputation at the national level and emphasizing the benefits of his entry for the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP alliance in the Mumbai-Thane region. Shinde also mentioned that Nirupam’s role would aim to garner support from the North Indian population for the party in upcoming political endeavors.