Milind Deora Quits as Mumbai Cong Chief, Hints at National Role

Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora on Sunday, 7 July, announced his resignation from the post and said he was looking forward to play a ‘role at the national level’ to help stabilise the party.The move comes amid a spate of resignations within the Congress ranks following the party’s poor showing in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.RECOMMENDS PANEL TO OVERSEE MAHA ELECTIONSDeora has recommended setting up of a provisional collective leadership comprising three senior Congress leaders to oversee the city party unit till the Maharashtra Assembly polls, which are due later this year.A statement issued by his office on Sunday said that taking on the BJP-Shiv Sena and negating the impact of Vanchit Aghadi is a challenge for the Congress in Maharashtra.Rahul Gandhi May Just Have Saved Congress Through His Resignation"I have suggested a three-member panel (to oversee the city party unit) and am being consulted by leaders to identify names. I look forward to play a national role to help stabilise the party. Needless to say, I will continue to guide and unite the Mumbai Congress," Deora said in the statement.Deora had earlier expressed his desire to quit shortly after meeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on 26 June."The same has been conveyed to All India Congress Committee general secretaries Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal," the statement said.‘RESIGNATION OR A LADDER TO CLIMB’: NIRUPAM TAKES A DIG AT DEORACongress leader Sanjay Nirupam took a dig at Deora saying that the resignation is being used as "a ladder to climb up.""A resignation is done when someone wants to reject something. But here, a moment later, a national level position is being sought. Is this a resignation or a ladder to climb up? The party should be cautious with such 'hard-working' people," tweeted Nirupam.‘LS POLLS HAVE CHANGED POLITICAL REALITY’When contacted by PTI, Deora said political realities have changed since the Lok Sabha results. "We all will have to get ready for roles that these times demand," he said. Deora was appointed president of the Mumbai Congress on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year."I had accepted MRCC presidentship in the interest of uniting the party. I felt I should also resign after meeting Rahul Gandhi," he said. Gandhi resigned as Congress president at a CWC meeting on 25 May, two days after results of the Lok Sabha elections were declared.Deora contested the Lok Sabha poll from Mumbai-South constituency, but lost to Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant.As Rahul Gandhi Quits, These Four Fault Lines May Divide Congress(With inputs from ANI)

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Milind Deora Quits as Mumbai Cong Chief, Hints at National Role

He has proposed a three member panel to lead Mumbai Congress in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.

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Topics: Congress Rahul Gandhi Maharashtra