Here's the list of Congress leaders who resigned from party recently
New Delhi [India], August 26 (ANI): With the exit of veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad from the Congress, months before the upcoming Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls, as well as the general elections in two years' time, will have a huge blow to the grand old party.
Not only Azad but several high-profile leaders have quit Congress this year making it difficult for the party to find its feet in the upcoming polls.
At a time when the Congress is gearing up for its 'Bharat Jodo yatra', a 148-day march from Kanyakumari on September 7 under the leadership of party leader Rahul Gandhi, will culminate in Kashmir, with an aim to reunite the nation, the party is struggling to keep its own leaders tact.
Hours after the resignation of Ghulam Nabi Azad, several Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including former Jammu and Kashmir Minister RS Chib quit the Congress on Friday. Five other leaders of Congress have resigned from their positions in support of the resignation of Azad. Among those who have resigned from party posts are GM Saroori, Haji Abdul Rashid, Mohd Amin Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad Wani and Choudhary Mohd Akram.
Azad's resignation came two days after Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill quit the party stating that the decision-making of the grand-old party is not in consonance with the ground reality and public interest but is influenced by sycophancy.
Let's take a look back at some of the recent big exits from Congress.
Jaiveer Shergill
Jaiveer Shergill, who is a lawyer by profession and was one of the prominent ones among young Congress leaders, on August 24, tendered his resignation claiming that the vision of the decision-makers no longer was in sync with the aspirations of the youth.
He also said that self-serving interests were gaining precedence while public and national interests were being ignored.
Shergill sent his letter to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and said, "The primary reason being that the ideology and the vision of the current decision-makers of the Indian National Congress are no longer in sync with the aspirations of the youth and modern India."
"Furthermore, it pains me to say that decision-making is no longer for the interest of the public and the country. Rather it is influenced by the self-serving interests of individuals indulging in sycophancy and consistently ignoring on-ground reality. This is something I cannot morally accept or continue to work with," he added.
Just like Azad, Shergill also alleged that said the decision-making of the grand-old party is not in consonance with the ground reality and public interest rather it is influenced by sycophancy.
"I have resigned from all posts in the Congress party. The primary reason for the resignation is that the decision-making in INC is no longer being done keeping the interests of the public in mind. It is purely being influenced by a coterie who merely indulges in sycophancy. The decision-making of the Congress party is not in sync with the ground reality anymore. I have been seeking time from Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for more than a year, but we are not welcomed in the office," Shergill said.
Kapil Sibal
Earlier this year in May, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, a prominent face of the G-23 group of dissenting leaders, gave another blow to the party after he resigned from the party and filed nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections as an independent candidate backed by the Samajwadi Party (SP) earlier this year.
"I had tendered my resignation from the Congress party on May 16. It is important to be an independent voice. While staying in Opposition we want to create an alliance so that we can oppose the Modi government. We want that the people know about the flaws of the Modi government. I will put my efforts for that," Sibal had said after resignation.
Sibal served as minister in the two Congress-led UPA governments. He was the Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences in the first UPA government.
In the second UPA government, he held portfolios of Human Resource Development, Communications and Information Technology and an additional charge of Law and Justice.
Sunil Jakhar
Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar too parted ways with the Congress in May this year.
While the Congress held its Chintan Shivir in Udaipur, Jakhar on Facebook said: Good luck and goodbye to Congress." Jakhar's resignation came while he had been issued a show-cause notice for criticising former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Taking potshots at the Congress, Jakhar questioned if the party chief Sonia Gandhi wasn't aware that he held no position in the party and yet he was issued a show-cause notice.
"I don't hold any post (in the party); I have an ideology. I want to ask Sonia Gandhi that being Congress president, doesn't she know that I hold no position in the party? Then why a show-cause notice is being given to me?" he asked.
After quitting the party, Jakhar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was seen being welcomed by party president JP Nadda.
"Three generations of my family served the Congress party over the last 50 years. Today, I have broken the 50-year-old tie with Congress over issues of nationalism, unity and brotherhood in Punjab," said Sunil Jakhar after joining BJP.
RPN Singh
RPN Singh, who was named as a star campaigner for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, quit the party when the Congress was preparing to win the battle against BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
Singh sent his resignation letter in January to Sonia Gandhi thanking her for giving him an opportunity to serve the nation, people and the party.
"Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind," he tweeted, sharing the resignation letter.
Soon after parting his ways with Congress, former Union Minister Singh joined hands with BJP.
"This is a new beginning for me and I look forward to my contribution to nation-building under the visionary leadership and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah," he said after resigning from the Congress party.
Ashwani Kumar
Former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar in February resigned from Congress after a long association of 46 years with the party.
In a letter to Sonia Gandhi, Kumar said, "Having given my thoughtful consideration to the matter, I have concluded that in the present circumstances and consistent with my dignity, I can best subserve larger national causes outside the party-fold."
He further said that he hopes to proactively pursue public causes inspired by the idea of transformative leadership, based on the promise of a liberal democracy envisioned by our freedom fighters.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, the former Union Law Minister had said, "We don't have a transformative and inspiring leadership to lead the party. I have neither quit politics nor public service. I will continue to discharge my obligations to the nation as best as I can."
Ashwani Kumar was a part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) term two government's cabinet. Currently, he was not holding any main profile in the Congress party and did not have a post in the AICC.
He was elected from the Rajya Sabha and is considered close to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
Hardik Patel
Back in May, Gujarat Patidar leader Hardik Patel in resigned from the grand old party after he felt that he was being "ignored".
"When Rahul comes to Gujarat, he did not talk about the problem faced by the people of Gujarat. Party leaders are busy arranging chicken sandwiches and Diet Coke for Rahul Gandhi. There are talks in the party that people will vote for Congress when they get bored with the other party. I have spoken to Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi and mentioned the problems of Gujarat. He asked me what the problems were and I told him. That's when I was ignored. I decided to leave the party not with sadness but with courage," said Hardik Patel in a press briefing.
The Patidar leader, who joined the Congress in 2019, was elevated as one of the Gujarat Congress working presidents in 2020.
Two weeks after quitting the Congress, he formally joined the BJP, saying "When people are connecting with the ongoing development works in the country under the leadership of PM Modi, then I should also do the same. PM Modi is the pride of the entire world." (ANI)
Source: National