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Updated: Apr 20, 2019 12:46 IST

Priyanka Chaturvedi, who quit Congress to join Shiv Sena on Friday, in her farewell message to her colleagues said her decision was ‘thought over very thoroughly.’

The former Congress spokesperson, who quit saying she needed to connect with her roots and that she had gone astray in politics, had a special word of admiration for party’s communication cell chief Randeep Singh Surjewala.

“To the best boss ever Randeep Singh Surjewala for giving me the wings to fly, for having total faith in me and standing by me,” she said.

Watch: ‘Committed to work for Mumbai’: Priyanka Chaturvedi on joining Shiv Sena

In his response to Chaturvedi’s farewell message, Surjewala referred to “career progression” hinting that her resignation might have something to do with a ticket for the Lok Sabha polls. There has been speculation that she sought a party ticket for the parliamentary polls but was denied by the leadership.

Surjewala said, “Every time a party member leaves, it’s a matter of pain for us. People look for career progression. We wish all of them well including Priyanka Chaturvedi...I must frankly and on record concede, yes, it’s a reflection on my leadership.”

On the day she joined the Maharashtra party, Chaturvedi in her parting message thanked all her colleagues saying: “Wish you guys all the best, this is where I get off”.

Chaturvedi wrote that she had chosen to move on though with a heavy heart and hoped her ex-colleagues would stay in touch with her.

As a post script, she writes: “I have thought over this very carefully.”

Earlier, addressing a press conference after joining the Shiv Sena, Chaturvedi said: “I know I will be held accountable for my past statements and my views and that how I came to this conclusion but I would like to say that I have taken this decision to join the Shiv Sena after a lot of thought.”

Referring to last year’s incident in Mathura where some Congress leaders had “misbehaved” with her at a press conference, she said, “I felt let down when those people were reinstated after being suspended.”

As far as her work with the Shiv Sena is concerned, she said that anyone who comes to Mumbai or Maharashtra is automatically connected with the party and that she would work hard to disseminate the message of her new party and would go anywhere in the country if needed.