Is former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde joining BJP?

New Delhi: The buzz of former Union Minister and ex-chief minister of Maharashtra Sushilkumar Shinde and his daughter Praniti Shinde quitting the Congress and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has grown louder after the exit of Milind Deora.

The speculation intensified after Shinde told reporters in Solapur that he had an open offer from the BJP but did not specify whether he was leaving the Congress or not.

But then politics is the art of the possible. 

As former US president Franklin D Roosevelt once remarked: "In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way."

According to Maharashtra Congress circles, Shinde, 82, is upset with the party leadership for sidelining him in the organisational affairs.

His daughter, Praniti Shinde, 43, a three-time legislator and a working president of the Maharashtra Congress, is likely to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Solapur.

Shinde has on many occasions in the past announced his retirement from electoral politics and stated that his daughter will further carry on his legacy. 

All eyes are now on Shinde and his daughter.