Priya Dutt may leave the Congress party ahead of the Lok Sabha Election 2024, said sources. If this comes true then Dutt will join a list of candidates who have left the grand old party in recent times in search of greener pastures.
As per sources, Eknath Shinde wants Dutt to join his faction of the Shiv Sena as the party is looking for opportunities to expand and strengthen its hold in the state.
In 2019, Dutt lost from the Mumbai North Central constituency to BJP's Poonam Mahajan. Since then, she has been marginalised within the party. Congress did not give her any responsibility following her loss.
When asked about the same, Dutt said, "She is not active in politics but is constantly in touch with people through her NGO and is engaged in social work. It is not necessary to be in politics to serve and she does not do politics of accusations. Social work is also politics."
Earlier, leaders like Milind Deora, Baba Siddiqui and Ashok Chavan among others left the Congress party citing various reasons. Deora, a close aide of the Congress party left it in January this year stating that the party had 'deviated from its ideological and organisational roots, fostering caste divisions, and targeting business houses.' He later joined the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena.
ALSO READ | RS polls: Ashok Chavan, Milind Deora among 6 nominees declared elected unopposed from Maharashtra
