The Congress, still smarting from its loss in three assembly elections and saved by a victory in one, suffered a fresh blow with Milind Deora’s exit on Sunday. The 47-year-old leader from Maharashtra and son of party veteran Murli Deora ended his family’s 55-year-old association with the grand old party.
With speculation rife that Deora will join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Congress may have only been left with Sachin Pilot on their side when it comes to “young blood”. Many have criticised senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for functioning within a coterie, leading to a stifling environment that is unaccepting of the so-called outsiders.
Not only resignations, but this has also led to infighting and showdowns within the party with Pilot’s 2020 revolt grabbing maximum eyeballs. In fact, it was only before the recently held assembly election in Rajasthan that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge fashioned a last-minute patch-up between the popular Gujjar leader and then chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Rajesh Pilot’s son has continued to be a pressure point for his party since, and it remains to be seen in which direction his political fortunes turn ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Despite the party showing subtle signs that it is headed towards a facelift by giving more space to those other than the old guard, a number of young and popular leaders have left the party in the last few years.
Here is a list:
Milind Deora
Former union minister Milind Deora quit the Congress on Sunday and said he is going on the “path of development”. “I am going walking on the path of development,” Deora told reporters from outside his house. He is likely to meet chief minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence ‘Varsha’ and join the Shiv Sena. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Deora said, “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.”
Hardik Patel
Hardik Patel, the face of the 2015 Patidar quota protests in Gujarat, exited the Congress in May 2022. The 30-year-old was even projected as the “future” of his state’s politics by some. But, after the protest, he could not gather a massive crowd for a large-scale protest again and remained in the political wilderness since. He joined the Congress in 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections but failed to make any difference for his party as the BJP swept all parliamentary seats in Gujarat. In an unprecedented set of events, he joined the BJP in June 2022.
Jyotiraditya Scindia
Perhaps the most high-profile of all exits, Jyotiraditya Scindia ended his 18-year association with the party and resigned in March 2020 due to infighting. And in doing so, toppled the very Congress government that he helped bring to power in Madhya Pradesh in 2018. At least 20 MLAs loyal to him quit their assembly membership, resulting in the collapse of the Kamal Nath-led government. The 53-year-old joined the BJP and was also elected to the Rajya Sabha. He was inducted into the Narendra Modi-led cabinet after the rejig in 2021, and given the portfolio of civil aviation — a position his father Madhavrao Scindia also held from 1991 to 1993.
Jitin Prasada
A prominent Brahmin face of the Congress, Jitin Prasada started his career with the youth wing of the party. The 50-year-old was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004 for the first time. He was a minister during the UPA regime at the Centre and the Congress appointed him in-charge of the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections. The party, however, faced a humiliating defeat in the state. In June that same year, Prasada joined the BJP and became a part of the Yogi Adityanath-led cabinet.
Sushmita Dev
Considered close to the Gandhi family, Sushmita Dev was the national president of the women’s wing of the Congress when she resigned from its primary membership in 2021. The 51-year-old was also one of the party’s prominent faces in Assam. The one-time MP lost the Silchar seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and, later in August 2021, joined Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress that sent her to the Rajya Sabha.
Alpesh Thakor
A former Congress MLA, Alpesh Thakor quit the party in July 2019 after voting against the party candidate in bypolls to two Rajya Sabha seats. The 48-year-old is a BJP MLA from Gandhinagar South.
Anil Antony
Anil Antony quit the Congress and joined the BJP in January last year. The 37-year-old son of veteran AK Antony, he has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his clear vision of making India a global leader. His father, whose tenure as the defence minister was riddled with corruption, had said he was deeply disappointed with his son’s decision.
Jaiveer Shergill
Two days after veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad’s resignation jolted the Congress, Jaiveer Shergill resigned from the party alleging sycophancy in August 2022. One of its youngest spokespersons, the 40-year-old joined the BJP in December 2022 and became its national spokesperson. He has praised the professionalism in the saffron party, which he said is in stark contrast to the “feudal high command” in his previous party.
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