Milind Deora was considered a close aide of Rahul Gandhi. (File)
Milind Deora, former Union Minister, quit the Congress and is set to join the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra today. The Bharatiya Janata Party took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi after Mr Deora made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter).
"Rahul Gandhi should first do justice to his party leaders. Justice journey later," wrote BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya.
Rahul Gandhi will today kickstart a 6,200-km 'Bharat Nyay Yatra' from Manipur to Mumbai today. The march aims to connect the northeastern and western parts of the country with an eye on next year's national elections.
Earlier today, Mr Deora announced that he was ending his family's 55-year relationship with the Congress.
"Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of @INCIndia, ending my family's 55-year relationship with the party. I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues & karyakartas for their unwavering support over the years," he wrote.
Mr Deora was unhappy over the Uddhav Thackeray faction staking a claim to the Mumbai South seat. The Uddhav Thackeray-led group, Shiv Sena (UBT) is a part of the opposition alliance.