Stop staking claim to Mumbai South or else Cong will announce candidates for seats: Milind Deora

Mumbai: Irked by Shiv Sena (UBT) staking claim to Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, senior Congress leader Milind Deora on Sunday said that if such statements by an "alliance partner" don't stop, his party too can announce candidates for seats. He also said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections won't be easy for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, and hence, nobody should make claims and counter-claims.

The MVA comprises Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and the Congress.

Deora's remarks come against the backdrop of statements made by some senior leaders of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena staking claim to the Mumbai South seat, which was won by Shiv Sena (undivided) in the 2019 elections. In a video statement issued on Sunday, Deora, son of late Congress veteran Murli Deora, said Mumbai South has traditionally been with Congress and the Deoras are associated with this constituency for years.

"My family is connected with voters here based on the work done by us and this relationship developed over the years," said Deora, a former Union minister who recently became the joint treasurer of the AICC (All India Congress Committee).

The former MP said he had been receiving phone calls and messages from Congress workers and supporters expressing concerns over an MVA ally staking claim to the constituency.

"The Deoras have been serving this constituency for the last 50 years as MPs or otherwise. We were not elected on any wave," Deora said without naming sitting MP Arvind Sawant who was elected when the undivided Shiv Sena was an ally of BJP.

Without naming Shiv Sena (UBT), Deora said he didn't want to create an unnecessary controversy but "an alliance partner" has been making one-sided claims over the seat-sharing.

"Last week, their spokesperson asked the Congress to start from zero. If this wasn't enough, a fresh claim over the Mumbai South seat was made at a rally of the ally yesterday in Girgaum," he said.

Deora said Lok Sabha elections were not going to be easy for the MVA alliance and nobody should make claims and counterclaims.

"If a party doesn't want to wait till the formal talks on seat sharing conclude, the Congress will stake the claim and announce candidates. I hope this message reaches important people in Mumbai and Delhi. I appeal to you to be patient," he added.