Congress’ Sanjay Nirupam, BJP’s Pankaja Munde offer to resign over ‘poor performance’

Taking moral responsibility for Congress’ poor performance in the BMC polls, party’s city unit chief Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday offered to resign from his post.

Talking to reporters, Nirupam launched a broadside against party leaders in the city who, he said, wished that the Congress lose the elections.

“In their aim to defeat me, they caused immense harm to the party,” he said in an apparent reference to AICC general secretary Gurudas Kamat.

Nirupam said he has spoken to the party’s central leadership and offered to resign for the poor show in the civic polls.

The Congress leader said he tried his best for the party in the two years of his tenure as city unit chief.

“I admit there were lack of resources in the last two years. One person cannot ensure the party’s success. There was immense negativity spread by certain party leaders to harm the campaign,” Nirupam charged.

“If I was wrong, these leaders could have discussed the issues with me across the table instead of going to the media and taking to twitter and targeting the party leaders. Most of the recommendations for candidates from party leaders were accommodated. I intervened only in about four to five per cent in the candidates’ list,” he said.

Nirupam said the central leadership deputed an AICC observer, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, to resolve the differences. “But, the leaders who were targeting me refused to meet him also,” he said.

He rued that whenever civic polls are around, some leaders present a picture of disharmony in the city unit.

“I am the city president for the last two years, but the same situation was seen during Murli Deora’s time and Kripashankar Singh’s time. Is everyone wrong and only person right,” Nirupam asked without naming Kamat, who also served as the city unit chief.

“Some leaders think they are above the party. If disciplinary action is not taken against them, the Congress will suffer,” he warned.

Meanwhile, senior party leader Narayan Rane blamed Nirupam for the poor performance of the Congress in the BMC polls and said he had not fought the elections to win. Congress only won 31 seats in the current polls, compared to 51 last time.

Minister Pankaja Munde too offered to quit the Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra after BJP’s poor performance in the local body polls in her constituency in Beed district.

“I take responsibility for the defeat,” Ms Munde told the ANI news agency.

BJP lost eight out of the 10 zila parishad seats in Munde’s hometown Parli in Beed district. She was bested by her estranged cousin Dhanajay Munde, who was representing the NCP.

However, BJP state president Raosaheb Danve sought to downplay the issue. “I had a word with Pankaja Munde. Victory never went into our head and we never got depressed with defeat. We will decide about her stand (resignation),” Danve said.

“I personally do not find a valid reason behind her decision to put in papers. I feel people’s issues will not be solved by her resignation,” he told PTI.

“She is a senior leader and part of our core team. She is upset with Zilla Parishad results and we will try to find amicable solutions to her worries,” he said.

The BJP leader also dismissed reports of infighting in the party. “There is no infighting in BJP. We are all working together. Her resignation has nothing to do with BJP and her disappointment with BJP. I have already said BJP would be the number one party (in the state),” he said.

The BJP claimed the second spot in BMC polls and lost out of Sena in Thane. However, it’s perfromed exceptionally well in the remaining civic bodies.

With PTI inputs