Sanjay Nirupam out, Milind Deora new Mumbai Cong chief

In a sudden turn of events, the Congress on Monday removed its high-profile Mumbai president Sanjay Nirupam and brought in Nehru-Gandhi family loyalist Milind Deora in his place.

The president of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) is one of the important positions in the Congress rank and file.

"Congress president Rahul Gandhi has appointed Milind Deora as president of MRCC. The party appreciates the contribution of outgoing president Sanjay Nirupam," said a communiqué issued by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal.

Nirupam, a journalist-turned-politician, had been the Mumbai Congress chief since March 2015. He, however, has been named Congress candidate from Mumbai North West, the traditional seat of late Gurudas Kamat.

Nirupam's successor Milind Deora is the son of Congress stalwart the late Murli Deora and is contesting from Mumbai South.

For quite some time now, the tension was brewing against Nirupam's style of functioning — and leaders like Deora and former minister and ex-Mumbai chief Kripashankar Singh had openly spoken against him.

Milind's father, late Murli Deora was Mumbai Congress president for a record 22 years from 1981-2003. Milind was a junior minister in the Dr Manmohan Singh-led UPA government.

Nirupam is a two-term Rajya Sabha member and one-time Lok Sabha member from Mumbai North. Before Congress, he was with the Shiv Sena.