Senior Maharashtra leader Milind Deora, who announced his resignation from the primary membership of the Congress, ending his family’s 55-year relationship with the party, joined Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Sunday.
'Ending my family’s 55-year relationship with the party'
Taking to the X, the former Union Minister confirmed about ending ties with the grand old party. "Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of @INCIndia, ending my family’s 55-year relationship with the party. I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues & karyakartas for their unwavering support over the years," he said.
Deora, who has openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the Shiv Sena (led by Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) asserting its claim to the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, stated to reporters that he is currently engaged in discussions with his supporters. "I am listening to my supporters...Haven't taken a decision yet," the former Mumbai South MP said when asked if he was chalking out a plan with his supporters.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led group had staked a claim to contest the Mumbai South constituency, represented by Mr Deora before 2014, in the upcoming General Elections, which has not gone down well with the Congress leader.
On his resignation from Congress, Deora said, "I am walking on the path of development."
Deora, son of Congress veteran Murli Deora, had won the Mumbai South seat in 2004 and 2009. He ended up as the first runner-up in the subsequent elections in 2014 and 2019 against Shiv Sena (Undivided) leader Arvind Sawant.
Deora joins Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction)
Deora joined the Shinde faction in the presence of the Maharashtra CM and other senior leaders.
Shinde said that he welcome Deora in his party.
Reacting to Deora's resignation, Congres leader Jairam Ramesh recalled the long years of association with his father Murli Deora and said that he was a stalwart Congressman who always stood by the Congress party — through thick and thin. "I recall my long years of association with MURLI Deora with great fondness. He had close friends in all political parties, but was a stalwart Congressman who ALWAYS stood by the Congress party — through thick and thin. Tathastu!" Jairam Ramesh said in X post.
'Timing of Deora's resignation determined by PM Modi': Congress
As Milind Deora resigned just before the start of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the Congress alleged that the timing of the announcement of his departure from the party was determined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
“He messaged me on Friday at 8:52 am and then at 2:47 am I replied, ‘Are you planning a switch?’. At 2:48 he sent a message, ‘is speaking to you not possible?’ I said I will call you and at 3:40, I spoke to him,” Ramesh told news agency PTI.
“He (Deora) said he is concerned that it is a sitting Shiv Sena seat, he wanted to meet Rahul Gandhi and explain to him about the seat and also wanted me to talk to Gandhi about it,” the Congress general secretary said.
“Obviously all this was a farce and he had made up his mind to leave. The timing of the announcement of his departure was clearly determined by the PM,” Ramesh alleged.
BJP takes jibe at Rahul Gandhi
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and the party's IT Cell head Amit Malviya reacted to Deora's resignation. Taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Malviya said that the Congress leader should first do 'Nyay' (justice) to his party leaders.
"Rahul Gandhi should first do justice to his party leaders. Justice journey later," the BJP leader in an X post.
