The experienced Congress leader and ex-Union minister had recently voiced his dissatisfaction with the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) asserting their claim to the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency.
Senior Congress leader Milind Deora dismissed the rumors on Saturday that he was planning to leave the party and join the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
While expressing his discontent over the Shiv Sena’s claim to the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Deora clarified to reporters that he is currently in discussions with his supporters. When asked about planning with his supporters, the former Mumbai South MP stated, “I am listening to my supporters and haven’t made a decision yet.”
Regarding reports in certain sections of the media suggesting that he was leaving the Congress to join the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, Milind Deora stated that these are just rumors. The Uddhav Thackeray-led group had expressed interest in contesting the Mumbai South constituency, which Mr. Deora represented before 2014, in the upcoming general elections. This decision did not sit well with the Congress leader.
In response, Mr. Deora issued a video statement last Sunday, emphasizing that if such statements from an “alliance partner” persist, his party may also announce candidates for the contested seats. It’s worth noting that the Shiv Sena (UBT) is an alliance partner with the Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) in the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Mr. Deora emphasized that formal talks on seat sharing are yet to be concluded, and as a result, no one should be making premature claims and counter-claims.
The son of Congress veteran Murli Deora, Mr. Deora secured victory in the Mumbai South seat in 2004 and 2009. However, in the subsequent elections in 2014 and 2019, he finished as the first runner-up against Shiv Sena (Undivided) leader Arvind Sawant.
Mr. Deora underscored that his family had represented the seat for 50 years and wasn’t elected based on any particular “wave.”