Former Unnao MP quits Congress, blames state leadership

In a setback to the Congress, senior leader and former MP from Unnao, Annu Tandon on Thursday resigned from the primary membership of the party citing "misalignment with the state-level leadership."

Lucknow:The Congress suffered a major setback in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday when former MP Annu Tandon quit the party with her supporters.

In a press release, Tandon has blamed the state leadership for her decision and said that she had met Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and had discussed issues with her but talks proved futile.

In her letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Tandon said that she had worked for the Congress for 15 years as a party worker and as MP from Unnao.

She regretted the fact that she could not establish communication with the state leadership that remained uncooperative.

"Losing the 2019 election was not as hurtful as the fact that the party in Uttar Pradesh is disintegrating and the party high command is not taking effective steps to redeem the situation. The state leadership is only concerned with social media management and personal branding," she stated.

MP Annu Tandon resignation letter

She said that she and her supporters were victims of a misinformation campaign being led by nondescript people in the party.

"I remained in the Congress because I believed that things would change for the better and a new leadership would emerge. I have spoken to a number of other leaders and they share my sentiments and feelings," she said.

She said that she would discuss with her supporters before deciding on the future course of action.

Tandon's resignation from the Congress is a severe jolt to the party - more so, because by-elections in Bangarmau, which is a part of Unnao, are barely four days away. The Bangarmau seat was the only seat in seven Assembly segments where the Congress is putting up a semblance of fight in the by-elections.

Tandon's resignation has given a voice to resentment that has been simmering within the party over Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's style of functioning and her over-dependence on leaders who do not subscribe to the Congress ideology.

IANS