"Will welcome Sanjay Nirupam if he wants to join us": Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 29 (ANI): Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat on Friday said that Sanjay Nirupam will definitely be welcomed into the Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena if he decides to leave Congress in the near future.
"Govinda joined our party yesterday but he has declared that he won't be contesting the election. Sanjay Nirupam is very angry with Congress. If he thinks about it, he will take the decision in 2-3 days, and if he wants to join us, we welcome him. However, the final decision in this regard lies with Eknath Shinde," Sanjay Shirsat told ANI.
Hours after the Sena (UBT) released its first list of candidates in Maharashtra for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, naming Amol Kirtikar from Mumbai North West parliamentary constituency among others, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam warned the Sena for taking an "extreme stand" and suggested that the Congress party's alliance with them might prove to be "self-destructive."
"Shiv Sena should not take an extreme stand. This will cause a huge loss to Congress. I want to attract the attention of Congress leadership to intervene, if not then break the alliance to save the party. The decision of an alliance with Shiv Sena will prove self-destructive for Congress and its impact will be felt in Maharashtra and even beyond," Nirupam said speaking to reporters at a press conference in Mumbai.
Nirupam said that the Sena did not even consider Balasaheb Thorat's objection.
Speaking about his future course of action, Nirpuam said, "Now all options are open for me. I will wait for one week and take my decision."
Nirpuam, who had represented Mumbai North in 2009 in the Lok Sabha, said that the decision of the Shiv Sena to field candidates in Mumbai, was meant to sideline the Congress.
The UBT Sena is fighting the Maharashtra polls in alliance with the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar) and the Congress.Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20.
Maharashtra, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. 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.(ANI)