New Delhi [India], September 3 (ANI): Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora, who was a Union Minister during the second UPA government, has said he believes he did not leave the Congress and the party left him and that the party's human resource management 'has collapsed'.

In an interview with ANI, Deora also stated that the Congress has deviated from 'Manmohanomics.'

He said Congress alienated itself from dedicated members like him, who had a legacy of selfless service to the party.

'Look, I'll be honest with you...I don't believe I left Congress. I think Congress left me. And there's a huge difference in the two things,' Deora said.

Milind Deora resigned from the Congress in January 2024, marking the end of his affiliation with the party and the 55-year linkage of his family with it.

'I think the Congress alienated itself from people like me. And people like me who had a legacy in this party, whose families have served the party selflessly, whose families have given as much as we've received, and who dedicated their lives to this party, who never brought disrepute to the party, always helped the party nationally, internationally, locally,' Deora said.

Deora, who is a Shiv Sena MP in Rajya Sabha, claimed that Congress's human resource management, once its strength, has collapsed. The party's ability to manage, retain, and attract talent has deteriorated.

'In politics, the basic function you need is human resource management. To me, the fundamental change that has occurred is that the human resource management of the Congress party was once world-class, its ability to manage, retain, and attract talent was unbelievable in a genuine way, it had great people who did that. The leadership had people who really rose to the challenge during difficult times, knew how to do so, and understood what it takes. They understood the meaning of struggling to get your voice heard, for a party worker wants to do something, wants to make his or her presence felt. That human resource part of Congress has completely collapsed,' he said.

Deora said there are significant deviations from the economic and political path Congress followed during the ten years it led the UPA government with Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister.

'There are certainly huge deviations from Manmohanomics, huge deviations from earlier Congress,' said Deora.

Asked about meeting Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Parliament, Deora replied that he had seen them but hadn't met them in Parliament.

'I mean, I've seen them. I haven't met them in Parliament,' he said.

Milind Deora 's father, Murli Deora, was a veteran Congress leader and a trusted aide to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He served as a Member of Parliament for the Mumbai South constituency multiple times.

Following in his family's footsteps, Milind Deora entered politics and became a prominent figure in the Congress party. He was one of the youngest members of the 14th Lok Sabha, elected in 2004 at the age of 27, representing the Mumbai South constituency.

He served as Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology and as Minister of State for Shipping during the UPA-II government. He also served as president of the Mumbai Congress Committee.

In the Maharashtra assembly polls last year, Milind Deora lost to Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Aditya Thackeray by over 8,000 votes.

Deora was among the prominent young faces of the Congress who left the party, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada, and RPN Singh. (ANI)