Congress leader Ashwani Kumar resigns from party

Ahead of Punjab assembly polls, former Union Minister and Congress leader Ashwani Kumar has resigned from the party. Kumar, who is from Punjab, has sent his resignation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. He said, having given his thoughtful consideration to the matter, he has concluded that in the present circumstances and consistent with his dignity, he can best subserve larger national causes outside the party-fold. Kumar also denied that his exit was precipitated by the fact that he was not included among the Congress star campaigners for Punjab. "Who are the star campaigners? Apart from Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, do you see anyone else?" he grinned. Late , talking to news channel he said that the kind of leadership being projected in Punjab is probably the worst in the last 40 years.

In his resignation letter Kumar said that I can best subserve larger national causes outside the party fold”. Kumar’s exit was also unexpected as he was a staunch loyalist of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and had been associated with the party for over four decades.