Former Congress MP Milind Deora joined Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena at the chief minister’s official residence on Sunday. Deora announced his resignation from Congress earlier today.
Chief Minister Shinde welcomed Deora to the party and also welcomed other senior leaders from Congress during Paksh Pravesh.
"I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of Congress, ending my family's 55-year relationship with the party," he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues and karyakartas for their unwavering support over the years," he added.
Deora was disgruntled over Shiv Sena (UBT) staking a claim to the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency public. The Uddhav Thackeray-led group had staked a claim to contest the Mumbai South constituency, represented by Deora before 2014, in the upcoming general elections, which has not gone down well with the Congress leader.
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.
Reportedly, along with Deora, 10 former municipal corporators, 25 senior party functionaries, 20 top trader and merchant unions heads and about 400 party workers are joining the Shiv Sena under his leadership.
