After dismal performances in Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections in recent years, Congress is witnessing a resignation spree with its young and popular leaders switching sides for better opportunities and positions. Some of the turncoats are now serving either as ministers or MPs in the parties they have joined.
Veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad became the latest to quit the grand old party, just two days after 39-year-old Jaiveer Shergill’s resignation. Azad resigned from all party positions, including its primary membership, delivering another blow to the embattled party that has seen a series of leaders leave it. In a five page letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he said he does so with a “heavy heart”.
Here’s a list of young leaders who have quit the Congress party in the recent years.
Jyotiraditya Scindia
Jyotiraditya Scindia, who helped the Congress to return to power in Madhya Pradesh in 2018, ended his 18 years of association with the party and resigned in March 2020 over his fights with the party leadership in the state. At least 20 MLAs loyal to Scindia quit their assembly membership which resulted in the collapse of the Kamal Nath government.
Later, Scindia joined the BJP and was also elected to the Rajya Sabha. After the Cabinet reshuffle in 2021, he was inducted into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet. He was given the portfolio of Civil Aviation Minister, a position his father and late Congress leader Madhavrao Scindia also held from 1991 to 1993. Last month, he assumed the additional charge of the Steel Ministry, succeeding RCP Singh.
Jitin Prasada
Jitin Prasada was a prominent Brahmin face of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh. Having started his career with the Youth Congress, Prasada was elected to Lok Sabha in 2004 for the first time. He was a minister during the UPA regime at the Centre. Congress appointed him as in-charge of 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. However, the party faced humiliating defeat in West Bengal. In June 2021, Prasada joined the BJP and became part of Yogi Adityanath Cabinet.
Hardik Patel
Hardik Patel emerged as a face of 2015 Patidar quota protests and was even projected as the future of Gujarat politics by some political pundits. However, after the protest, he could not gather a massive crowd for a large-scale protest again and remained in the political wilderness since then. He joined the Congress in 2019 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections but failed to make any difference for his party as the BJP swept all parliamentary seats in Gujarat.
After emerging as a political bigwig and a three-year stint with the Congress, 28-year-old Patel, in an unprecedented set of events, joined the BJP in June this year, giving the ruling party an edge over its opponents in the upcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat. He felt side-lined by Congress and accused the top leadership of ignoring people’s issues. However, the BJP is yet to give any responsibility to Patel.
Sushmita Dev
Considered close to the Gandhi family, Sushmita Dev was Congress’ women wing national president when she resigned from party’s primary membership in 2021. She was also one of party’s prominent faces in Assam. The one-time MP lost the Silchar seat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Later in August 2021, she joined Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress which also sent her to Rajya Sabha.
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