'Walking Path of Vikas': Milind Deora Quits Congress, May Join Shinde's Sena Today

Amid speculations over switching sides to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Milind Deora on Sunday said he is resigning from Congress, ending his family’s 55-year-old relationship with the grand old party.

Taking to X, Deora wrote, “Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of Indian National Congress, 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.”

Talking to the media over his resignation from Congress, Deora said, “I am walking on the path of vikas (development).”

The resignation came a day after Deora, the ex-MP of Mumbai South, had dismissed “rumours” of his quitting the grand old party. He is likely to join Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena today.

“At least 10 former municipal corporators, 25 senior Congress functionaries, 20 top trader and merchant unions, and 400 party workers will also join Shiv Sena under Deora’s leadership at Varsha today,” sources said.

Deora will formally join Shiv Sena at 2 pm, in the presence of Shinde and other senior party leaders, they added.

However, Shinde has denied having any knowledge of Deora joining the party, and said, “I am not aware that Milind Deora is joining, if he is, we welcome him.”

Why did Milind Deora Quit Congress?

The reports of Deora’s defection surfaced amid the rift between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and their ally, the Congress, over the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency.  Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT)  has recently laid claim over the seat which Deora had previously represented.

The move did not sit well with Deora, who was recently appointed the joint treasurer of the All India Congress Committee. He expressed his displeasure in a video statement last Sunday and asserted that his family’s representation of the seat spans 50 years and is not solely based on any particular “wave” of support.

Son of Congress veteran Murli Deora, Milind Deora had won Lok Sabha elections from the Mumbai South seat in 2004 and 2009. He, however, faced defeat in the subsequent elections of 2014 and 2019 against the then Shiv Sena (Undivided) leader Arvind Sawant–who is now one of the few Uddhav Thackeray loyalists.

The seat was also held by the late Union Minister Murli Deora at least four times in the past, and was seen as a Congress stronghold in Mumbai for several years.

Amid the public rift over the seat sharing between Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, Eknath Shinde-led Sena faction Minister Uday Samant jumped into the fray, claiming that his party would welcome a leader of Milind Deora’s capabilities if he wished to enter the ruling party.

“CM Eknath Shinde is working day and night for public weal. And if he gets the support of a leader like Milind Deora support, then the Shiv Sena can expand in Mumbai in a big way. He is welcome to join us by keeping Bal Thackeray’s ideals in front of him,” Samant said.

Deora’s resignation came on the day when ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’– the Congress’s second large-scale outreach programme led by party leader Rahul Gandhi, is set to begin.

Taking a jibe over timing, the BJP said Gandhi should start the Congress Jodo Yatra before Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

“Rahul ji forget Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and start Congress jodo yatra From Rajasthan to Himachal, from Karnataka to MP, etc Congress has become a merit-free zone. If you are a first family sychophant there is space for you or else you have to leave I left years ago because I could not be a naukar of the parivar and Darbaar too,” said Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shehzad Poonawalla in a post on X.