Amid the nomination impasse between Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) and the BJP for the distinguished Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat, former Union minister Milind Deora instructed The Indian Categorical in an interview that he can be blissful to contest from the seat.
Deora lately joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena from the Congress and was made a Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra. He had beforehand gained the Mumbai South Lok Sabha seat twice as a Congress candidate, in 2004 and 2009. Mumbai South goes to polls on Might 20 within the fifth part of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Deora additionally stated the Congress was being pushed to the nook by its Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Shiv Sena (UBT) in Maharashtra.
Q: Are you prepared to contest the Lok Sabha polls?
Milind Deora: I’d be blissful to contest the Lok Sabha elections if the Mahayuti (ruling alliance ) desires me to contest. Will probably be an honour for me to struggle from right here (Mumbai South) once more and be given a chance to signify the seat in Lok Sabha. If the alliance feels that I’m the appropriate particular person for the job and to assist them win this seat, then I gained’t say no.”
Q. What’s the significance of South Mumbai for you and the Deora household?
Milind Deora: My household has been representing South Mumbai for a number of a long time and we have now by no means switched constituencies, even throughout occasions of political waves or losses. We’ve got repeatedly labored right here and have a deep understanding of the problems confronted by our constituents, in addition to the options required to handle them. South Mumbai is just not an alien constituency to me, and I’ll all the time work in direction of its betterment.”
Q. Why did you stop the Congress?
Milind Deora: A number of components influenced my determination, however the main issue was that the social gathering selected to give up to Shiv Sena (UBT) within the seat-sharing association. This resulted in them giving freely seats that might have been contested by Congress members. Sena (UBT)’s actions have annoyed a number of state congress leaders, resulting in many Congress leaders quitting the social gathering.
Q. Don’t you suppose Uddhav Sena has outnumbered Shinde Sena when it comes to the variety of seats contested in Maharashtra?
Milind Deora: Uddhav Thackeray is contesting 21 seats within the MVA alliance at the price of the Congress and that has created a number of issues and frustration within the Congress. Uddhav Thackeray has definitely pushed Congress to a wall and is benefiting from the social gathering. I understand how it feels. As a result of I felt it 4 months in the past (when he stop the Congress). He’s contesting on extra seats however voters will inform which Sena will win.
Q: Do you suppose the Congress might have negotiated higher?
Milind Deora: There was a chance for the social gathering to say itself as a result of the Sena UBT and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) aren’t the events which existed earlier. The seat sharing within the MVA was not very encouraging. My view was simply that the Congress ought to have been extra aggressive and assertive.
The Congress ought to have been the larger social gathering within the MVA as a result of the opposite two events had misplaced a number of floor, but it surely was No. 3 within the alliance. Many individuals nonetheless consider that the Congress ought to have been extra aggressive and assertive.
Q. Didn’t you attempt to avert such conditions for the Congress?
Milind Deora: I attempted to recommend a course correction however at one level, I simply gave up. I assumed the Congress was surrendering to a celebration and was not prepared to struggle for seats the place they’ve folks to contest. The Congress is being squeezed in Maharashtra.