Mumbai: Former national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi’s decision to quit the party and join its arch rival Shiv Sena came as a surprise to party leaders. But they have brushed the announcement aside, saying it is “a no loss, no gain situation” on both sides.

Chaturvedi, 40, has been miffed for some time over the Congress party’s decision to not take into consideration her ambition to contest from the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency or from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. This discontent was evidently brewing for some time, said a senior Congress leader. But the party leaders in Mumbai said even though this seems like a “well-planned execution”, they never expected her to move to the Shiv Sena.

“I congratulate her for her decision. She is a young and ambitious leader and I wish her the best in her future with the Sena. Having said that, her exit is an inconsequential development for the party and does not impact us in anyway,” said state Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant. He further added that he was indeed surprised that Chaturvedi decided to undergo such a paradigm shift in her “political ideology” so swiftly.

Also Read: Congress Spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi Quits Party, Joins Shiv Sena

If #PriyankaChaturvedi had a moral point to make about Congress hooligans, surely lost in joining party inimical to ideology she spouted till yday? And on hooliganism, historically Sena can out thrash Cong any day. She will be protected. Can’t wait for pic greeting Modi n Shah. — Saba Naqvi (@_sabanaqvi) April 19, 2019

“But this was not a decision taken overnight,” he claims. He further added that “Even those who have spent decades in the party take forever to get in touch with the party supremo (Uddhav Thackeray). So, it is not so simple that Chaturvedi got upset over one issue in Mathura, tweeted about it and in less than 48 hours had already joined the rival party with an absolutely opposite political ideology,” he claimed.

Chaturvedi, on April 17, had tweeted her resignation claiming that the party had not treated her respectfully and that if she had chosen to stay in the party, it would have been “at the cost of her dignity and self-respect”.

Deeply saddened that lumpen goons get prefence in @incindia over those who have given their sweat&blood. Having faced brickbats&abuse across board for the party but yet those who threatened me within the party getting away with not even a rap on their knuckles is unfortunate. https://t.co/CrVo1NAvz2 — Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) April 17, 2019

She had earlier complained that she was ill-treated at Mathura during her last visit and on her complaint, some party karyakartas were suspended only to be reinstated by the party.

She claimed that she quit the party over the chaos that had allegedly erupted six months ago in Mathura when she had visited the city to attend a party event. Some party workers had allegedly misbehaved with her.

While the men – allegedly close to the Mathura candidate Mahesh Pathak – were suspended from the party for a few months, they were reinstated on the eve of the election. Chaturvedi, who was already upset because she had been denied a ticket, was riled up further, said a Congress party member.

Mumbai-based Chaturvedi had joined the party’s Yuva wing ten years ago. She soon rose through the party ranks and was made the state representative and a national spokesperson in 2013. On April 19, Chaturvedi made the announcement to join the Shiv Sena at a press conference arranged at Uddhav Thackeray’s residence ‘Matoshree’ in Bandra, where Thackeray and other senior party leaders were present.

Congress’s national spokesperson Sanjay Jha called her decision “political opportunism” and criticised her for not having any clear political ideology. “In 2013, she was given a crucial responsibility of representing the party on the national level as its media spokesperson. I was instrumental in getting her inducted in the media team. She, in a very short period of time, was given the opportunity to rise and grow. And today she has decided to join hands with a party that is absolutely misogynistic, fundamentalist and is against the basic principles of democracy,” Jha told The Wire.

“And this, she does, while claiming her reasons to quit the Congress was because a woman leader was not treated respectfully by the Congress. It is ironical,” Jha added.

Also Read: Spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi Criticises Congress for Reinstating ‘Goons’

May not be a smart move

Political observers wondered if Chaturvedi’s decision to join the Sena is a smart one. “There is no immediate political gain by joining from the Sena. Even if the party decides to hand over one of its two Rajya Sabha seats to Chaturvedi, the decision will come only in 2020,” sources told The Wire.

Political commentator Pratap Asbe says it is unlikely that the party will field a recent entrant for the Rajya Sabha elections. “The party already has two Rajya Sabha MPs and both are old party workers. It is unlikely that the party would consider a new entrant for such a coveted position.”

Sawant too claimed that Chaturvedi did not have any “people connect” and was mostly restricted to interacting with the media. “Her decision to quit has no bearing on the party. I, in fact, wonder if she would have any consequential politics to play in the Sena,” he added.

Note: An earlier version of the story incorrectly mentioned that Priyanka Chaturvedi had wanted to contest from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency.