Speculations rife on Deora leaving Cong for Shinde Sena

The former union minister wants to contest the upcoming elections from the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency and is upset over the claim made by Shiv Sena (UBT) on the seat and Congress’s willingness to give in to the Thackeray faction’s demand

Mumbai: Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Milind Deora may resign from his party. There are speculations in the political circles that the former union minister is in touch with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and may join the party in the coming days. Deora, however, cleared the air saying he is not resigning from the party.

NEW DELHI, INDIA – AUGUST 26: Milind Deora outside Parliament House during the Parliament Monsoon Session on 26th August, 2013 in New Delhi.(Photo by Yasbant Negi/India Today Group/Getty Images) (India Today Group/Getty Images)

The former union minister wants to contest the upcoming elections from the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency and is upset over the claim made by Shiv Sena (UBT) on the seat and Congress’s willingness to give in to the Thackeray faction’s demand.

Congress has an alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and the three parties are likely to contest the upcoming polls as ‘Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi’.

Shiv Sena (UBT) is likely to get the Mumbai South seat as part of the seat-sharing formula. The same was discussed in the recently held meeting of the three parties in New Delhi where Congress leaders were positive about leaving the seat to Shiv Sena (UBT) as the latter’s MP Arvind Sawant has won the seat for the last two consecutive elections.

Deora said, “There are rumours about me joining any party. Those are baseless. I am confident that the Congress leadership will consider the concerns raised by the party workers.”

A Mumbai Congress leader close to Deora said he is disturbed that the party is giving in to Shiv Sena (UBT) in sharing of seats for Lok Sabha. “He wants to contest the general elections from the seat which the party is leaving for the alliance partner,” he said.

Deora also commented on this saying, “I am not very happy with what’s happening with South Mumbai, other seats and our partner’s stand on it. But I am sure the central leadership will find a way, rather, is finding a way I am told.”

Previously, there were speculations that the two-term MP from Mumbai South constituency between 2004 and 2009, was in talks with deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar led NCP.

In the ruling alliance, the seat is being claimed by both the BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Senior BJP leader and former union minister Jayawantiben Mehta was a two-term MP from the constituency. However, Sena is pointing out that it had won the seat in alliance with BJP in 2019 and hence has a claim on it.