Kisan Congress Chief Nana Patole Steps Down from Party Post Citing 'Collective Responsibility'

New Delhi: Kisan Congress President Nana Patole on Saturday stepped down from his party post, a day after several office-bearers of the Congress tendered their resignations.

Patole, who had Patole had lost to the BJP's Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur seat, resigned owning responsibility for the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

“I am writing to notify you that I am resigning from the position of secretary, AICC. The responsibility was given to me in 2017 before the Rajasthan Assembly elections. I worked hard to fulfil the duties assigned to me and tried my best to come up to the expectation of the party and the party president,” Patole said in his resignation letter addressed to party chief Rahul Gandhi.

"Congress party workers and office bearers collectively worked hard in the recent Lok Sabha elections, however results could not meet our expectations. You took the responsibility of party’s defeat and resigned from the post of president AICC. In my opinion, we all are equally responsible for the party’s defeat and me being Congress charge in Rajasthan take the responsibility of party’s performance in the region and put forward my resignation," he added.

In a tweet, Patole wrote that he was resigning as the chairman of the Kisan Congress and "dismissing" the unit.

"Rahul Gandhi is firm on not withdrawing his resignation as Congress president. Loss is a collective responsibility. Hence, I am resigning from the post of chairman of Kisan Congress-AICC and dismissing Kisan Congress body. We are in the interest of the nation standing with Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party," he said.

Later in the day, Uttar Pradesh Congress's senior vice-president Ranjit Singh Judev, general secretary Aradhna Mishra Mona, vice-president RP Tripathi and 10 other leaders resigned from their posts, taking moral responsibility for the election defeat.

On Friday, a number of leaders from several state units tendered their resignation, citing "collective responsibility". These included Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar, party general secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh Deepak Babaria, Delhi Congress Working President Rajesh Lilothia and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee working president Ponnam Prabhakar.

A common letter of resignation was circulated on social media with the names and signatures of certain office-bearers, including those of Haryana Mahila Congress chief Sumitra Chauhan and All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretaries Rajesh Dharmani and Virender Rathore.

On Thursday, senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha had also stepped down from the post of chairperson of the All India Congress Committee’s legal human rights and RTI department.

The flurry of resignations has put the party in a crisis, with Congress president Rahul Gandhi adamant on his decision to step down from the post. But the Congress Working Committee (CWC), in a meeting on May 25, turned down his proposal. While several leaders have called upon Gandhi to continue as party chief, the Wayanad MP has remained firm.

Gandhi on Thursday said he took the decision to ensure accountability for the party’s Lok Sabha poll debacle and there was no question of going back on it. “I have resigned after taking full responsibility and ensuring accountability for the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. I cannot ask others to resign too. It is up to them if they want to take responsibility," he had said.

But sources say Gandhi has privately expressed anger with many leaders who continue to stay on in their positions.