After Urmila Matondkar Resigns, Milind Deora Slams "Mumbai North Leaders"

Milind Deora confirmed his resignation as president of the party's Mumbai unit last week (File)

The "Mumbai North leaders" must be held accountable for actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar's resignation from the Congress, party leader Milind Deora said on Tuesday.

"After Urmila Matondkar decided to fight the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North, I supported her campaign wholeheartedly as the (Mumbai Congress) President. I stood by her when she was let down by those who brought her into the party. Fully agree that Mumbai North leaders must be held accountable!" he tweeted.

Ms Matondkar, who had joined the Congress barely five months ago ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, quit on Tuesday over the ongoing infighting in the Congress's Mumbai unit.

"It is obvious that the key functionaries of Mumbai Congress are either unable or not committed to bring about a change and transformation in the organisation for betterment of the party," she said in a statement to the media.

"My political and social sensibilities refuse to allow vested interests in the party to use me as a mean to fight petty in-house politics instead of working on a bigger goal in Mumbai Congress."

The actor-turned-politician, who unsuccessfully contested the Mumbai North seat against the BJP's Gopal Shetty, also expressed concern over "an act of blatant betrayal" in connection with a letter sent to Milind Deora, who quit the post of the state party chief last week.

Referring to her letter, Ms Matondkar told the media that not only no action was taken on her complaints, her letter - a "privileged and confidential communication" was "conveniently leaked to the media".

"Needless to say, no one from the party was apologetic or even concerned towards me for the same despite my repeated protests. Significantly,  some of the persons specifically named in my letter for the shoddy performance of INC in MUMBAI North were rewarded with newer positions instead of holding them accountable for their acts and omissions," she told the media.

In her letter dated May 16 -- a week before the Lok Sabha election results were announced - Ms Matondkar had criticised the conduct of two local leaders, who, she said, were "lacking political maturity, discipline" were creating controversies.

Mr Deora, 42, confirmed his resignation as president of the party's Mumbai unit last week, conveying his "final" decision in a letter to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Balasaheb Thorat.