Nirupam asked to quit Sena, may join SP

He was once the leader of his party in the Rajya Sabha, the man who steered the Shiv Sena vocally and bombastically in the Upper House.

But today, Shiv Sena sources confirmed that party MP from Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha Sanjay Nirupam was asked to leave the Shiv Sena by the party high command.

Although Nirupam said he was quitting the party on account of differences with the party over the issue of "north Indians" migrating to the metropolis, party leaders said he was probably going to join another party, possibly the Samajwadi Party.

He is reported to have resigned from the party today and will quit the Rajya Sabha tomorrow. Nirupam still has a year of his term left. But according to party leaders, he is probably bargaining for a five-year term in the Upper House.

Nirupam is a keen observer of the stock market and spoke at length on Finance Minister P Chidambaram's last Budget. He understands the complicated politics of brokers and politicians and was privy to a lot of information of the working of the stock market.

Sources said Nirupam, who had made some observations about BJP leader Pramod Mahajan's connections with an industrial house,was told by the party to retract these observations because they had annoyed Mahajan.

According to sources close to Nirupam, he asked Mahajan and was told that Mahajan had not lodged any such objections with anyone. Nirupam then deduced that it was his own party that was asking him to withdraw these remarks. He refused and was asked to go, his supporters say.

However, Nirupam knows he has a presence among the "bhaiyas" of Mumbai"" the UP and Bihar migrants who represent a sizeable section in several costituencies.

How non-Mumbaikars should be treated in a party that takes pride in the slogan of "Amchi Mumbai" is the issue on which Nirupam parted ways from the party. The north Indian face of Shiv Sena, Nirupam was the editor of Shiv Sena's mouthpiece "Dopahar ka Saamna" for several years.

He was the first north Indian to be nominated as Rajya Sabha member from the Shiv Sena quota and vociferously represented the north Indian community of Mumbai within the party.

The Samajwadi Party is trying hard to establish a presence in Mumbai and Nirupam's entry could be a move to consolidate this effort.

However, it is unlikely that the Samajwadi Party will on its own be able to get Nirupam a five-year term from Maharashtra"" it is possible he might have to be elected from UP for this.