The day Congress launched Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the party suffered a setback as former Union minister Milind Murali Deora quit Congress to join Shiv Sena-Shinde. With this, Deora family’s 55-year relationship with Congress comes to an end.
Deora, who has been an MP twice and then lost twice from South Mumbai, is insisting on contesting in the same constituency this year as well. But Arvind Sawant, the sitting MP of Shiv Sena– Uddhav for 10 years, leaving Deora little scoep if he had remained with Congress.
A a controversy has arisen in Mahavikas Aghadi. Sources said that it was for this reason that Deora decided to join Shiv Sena-Shine. Deora’s inclination was towards BJP. But this constituency is with Shiv Sena in the grand alliance. Therefore, Deora is said to have accepted the Sena ‘option’ on BJP’s advice.
On Sunday morning, Milind Deora has tweeted that he has resigned from the Congress. In this, he said, “Today marks the end of an important chapter in my political journey. I have resigned from the primary membership of Congress. “I am thankful to all the leaders, colleagues and workers for their unwavering support,” Deora tweeted.
The former Union minister is a member of the ‘G23’ group, which had opposed Rahul Gandhi’s re-election as the party president. Since Saturday political circles in Mumbai were abuzz with rumours of Deora quitting Congress. On Deora joining his party, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said: “The departure of Milind Deora has left the Congress party in a big vacuum in South Mumbai. There are some operations that cannot be told. I did the operation one-and-a- half years ago. Today, I welcome Milind Deora to Shiv Sena.” There were meetings of Congress office bearers at Garware Club and Mumbai Congress office took place on Friday. Deora turned his back on both these meetings. Many leaders contacted him and requested him to attend the meeting.
