On joining Shiv Sena, former Congress leader Milind Deora said today's Congress is very different from the Congress of 1968 and 2004.
"I have been receiving a lot of phone calls since morning that why did I sever 55-year-old ties of my family with Congress party...I was loyal to the party during its most challenging decade. Unfortunately, today's Congress is very different from the Congress of 1968 as well as that of 2004. Had Congress and UBT given importance to constructive & positive suggestions and merit & capability, Eknath Shinde and I wouldn't have been here. Eknath Shinde had to make a major decision, I had to make a major decision," Deora said.
Deora had lost two consecutive Lok Sabha polls to Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant in 2014 and 2019, and had raised concern over the likelihood of the Mumbai South seat falling to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) seat-sharing arrangements.
Ahead of joining the Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he would welcome Deora if he joined the party.