After joining Shiv Sena, Deora said, "This is a very emotional day for me. I had never thought that I would quit Congress. Today, I joined Shiv Sena."

The former South Mumbai Lok Sabha MP joined the ruling party in a function in Varsha, the official residence of the chief minister, in the afternoon. In a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Deora had earlier announced his resignation from the Congress. 

"Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress, ending my family's 55-year relationship with the party. I am grateful to all leaders, colleagues and karyakartas for their unwavering support over the years," he said. 

Deora was upset over the past few days after Shiv Sena-UBT laid claim to the South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat, which he had represented earlier. 

However, in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls he was defeated from the seat by the undivided Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant, now with the Thackeray faction, which is allied with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party as part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. -- PTI with ANI inputs