Senior Congress leader Milind Deora, considered a close friend of Rahul Gandhi, quit the grand old party on Sunday, ending his family’s 55-year association with the Congress, and joined Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in Mumbai.
The resignation comes hours after he dismissed as “rumours” the speculation that he was on his way out and would join the Shiv Sena, and on the day when Mr. Gandhi launched the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, a 6,200-km cross-country march from the northeast.
The Congress leaders have attributed the sequence of events to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led ruling coalition in the State, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh claiming that the timing of Mr. Deora’s exit has been decided by Mr. Modi for “headline management” to counter the yatra. “The mahurat (auspicious moment) was decided by the guru of headline management, sitting in Lok Kalyan Marg [official residence of the Prime Minister],” Mr. Ramesh told The Hindu.
