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MUMBAI: Former Union minister and ex-MP from Mumbai South Milind Deora quit Congress and hours later joined Shiv Sena on the day Rahul Gandhi launched his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, ending his family’s 55-year association with the grand old party.
Deora’s resignation all but completes the exodus of the original band of young dynasts – referred to with a degree of derision as ‘Rahul’s Babalog’ – who came to be identified with the Gandhi scion during his formative years in politics.Jitin Prasada, Jyotiraditya Scindia and RPN Singh have switched loyalties to BJP. Sachin Pilot’s the only one left, but his relations with the party brass have been anything but smooth.
Difficult decision to end family’s 55-year Congress ties: Deora
Milind Deora, recently appointed joint treasurer of the AICC, said it was “a very difficult decision” to quit the party, but Congress had turned against businessmen whereas the “path of development” lay under PM Modi and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.
Deora’s disenchantment with Congress, particularly Rahul – whom he was once considered to be close to – is said to have been growing for a while now. His latest and perhaps greatest unhappiness was with Congress ally Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena unwillingness to concede the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat, which was represented by his father Murli Deora for three consecutive terms, and him for two terms -2004 and 2009. According to a Congress leader, Deora was waiting to hear from AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge or Rahul Gandhi on the issue. Since there was no response, he decided to quit Congress.
Initially, he had planned to join BJP, said sources, but it appears the party was unlikely to consider him for an LS seat ticket. “He decided to join Shiv Sena on Shinde’s assurance that he would be considered for nomination to Rajya Sabha in place of Sena (UBT)’s Anil Desai, whose term is nearing completion,” a senior Shiv Sena functionary said.
He said Shinde’s looking for an articulate and seasoned politician to represent the party in Delhi on a par with NCP’s Praful Patel. “Patel is well versed with Delhi culture. Deora was also a two-term MP and a Union minister for nearly four years,” he said.
Deora announced his decision to resign on X on Sunday morning, a day after describing new reports about him quitting the Congress as false and planted.
“Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress, ending my family’s 55-year relationship with the party. I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues and karyakartas for their unwavering support over the years,” Deora stated. He later went to Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi to offer prayers.
In the afternoon, Deora joined Shiv Sena in the presence of Eknath Shinde at a function at Varsha, the CM’s official residence.
Following his defeat in the 2014 LS elections, Deora had largely withdrawn from political activities in Mumbai. He was rarely seen at meetings of the city party unit. He was visible only after the INDIA bloc discussions began in Mumbai.
An hour after he joined the Shiv Sena, Deora criticised Congress, saying the party had changed and is now avowedly anti-industry. “It was different when Manmohan Singh was the PM. He brought in drastic economic reforms, but now Congress leadership is taking on leading industrialists and businessmen, a very unfortunate situation,” Deora said.
“Certainly, it is an emotional moment for me, I never thought I would leave Congress and end my family’s five-decade-old relationship with one of the oldest political parties in the country,” Deora said.
Explaining his decision to join Shiv Sena, Deora said, “In the hands of Modi and Shinde, Maharashtra is completely safe. We have to strengthen their hands. In the last one decade, Maharashtra did not witness even a single terror attack. In the infrastructure sector, Maharashtra has made unprecedented progress, now the state is the best in the country. Modi is the most successful PM.”
Taking a dig at Thackeray, Deora said for several decades, Shiv Sena opposed Congress at all levels, but now it has joined hands with the party for obvious political reasons.
Watch Mumbai: Congress leader Milind Deora resigns, likely to join Shinde led Shiv Sena
Deora’s resignation all but completes the exodus of the original band of young dynasts – referred to with a degree of derision as ‘Rahul’s Babalog’ – who came to be identified with the Gandhi scion during his formative years in politics.Jitin Prasada, Jyotiraditya Scindia and RPN Singh have switched loyalties to BJP. Sachin Pilot’s the only one left, but his relations with the party brass have been anything but smooth.
Difficult decision to end family’s 55-year Congress ties: Deora
Milind Deora, recently appointed joint treasurer of the AICC, said it was “a very difficult decision” to quit the party, but Congress had turned against businessmen whereas the “path of development” lay under PM Modi and Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.
Deora’s disenchantment with Congress, particularly Rahul – whom he was once considered to be close to – is said to have been growing for a while now. His latest and perhaps greatest unhappiness was with Congress ally Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena unwillingness to concede the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat, which was represented by his father Murli Deora for three consecutive terms, and him for two terms -2004 and 2009. According to a Congress leader, Deora was waiting to hear from AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge or Rahul Gandhi on the issue. Since there was no response, he decided to quit Congress.
Initially, he had planned to join BJP, said sources, but it appears the party was unlikely to consider him for an LS seat ticket. “He decided to join Shiv Sena on Shinde’s assurance that he would be considered for nomination to Rajya Sabha in place of Sena (UBT)’s Anil Desai, whose term is nearing completion,” a senior Shiv Sena functionary said.
He said Shinde’s looking for an articulate and seasoned politician to represent the party in Delhi on a par with NCP’s Praful Patel. “Patel is well versed with Delhi culture. Deora was also a two-term MP and a Union minister for nearly four years,” he said.
Deora announced his decision to resign on X on Sunday morning, a day after describing new reports about him quitting the Congress as false and planted.
“Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress, ending my family’s 55-year relationship with the party. I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues and karyakartas for their unwavering support over the years,” Deora stated. He later went to Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi to offer prayers.
In the afternoon, Deora joined Shiv Sena in the presence of Eknath Shinde at a function at Varsha, the CM’s official residence.
Following his defeat in the 2014 LS elections, Deora had largely withdrawn from political activities in Mumbai. He was rarely seen at meetings of the city party unit. He was visible only after the INDIA bloc discussions began in Mumbai.
An hour after he joined the Shiv Sena, Deora criticised Congress, saying the party had changed and is now avowedly anti-industry. “It was different when Manmohan Singh was the PM. He brought in drastic economic reforms, but now Congress leadership is taking on leading industrialists and businessmen, a very unfortunate situation,” Deora said.
“Certainly, it is an emotional moment for me, I never thought I would leave Congress and end my family’s five-decade-old relationship with one of the oldest political parties in the country,” Deora said.
Explaining his decision to join Shiv Sena, Deora said, “In the hands of Modi and Shinde, Maharashtra is completely safe. We have to strengthen their hands. In the last one decade, Maharashtra did not witness even a single terror attack. In the infrastructure sector, Maharashtra has made unprecedented progress, now the state is the best in the country. Modi is the most successful PM.”
Taking a dig at Thackeray, Deora said for several decades, Shiv Sena opposed Congress at all levels, but now it has joined hands with the party for obvious political reasons.
Watch Mumbai: Congress leader Milind Deora resigns, likely to join Shinde led Shiv Sena
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