Congress has lost touch with the ground, says former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar after quitting party

Kumar, who left Congress ahead of the assembly election in Punjab, the state he represented in Rajya Sabha twice, claimed that the party is going to lose in the February 20 polls.

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New Delhi: Former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Tuesday (February 15, 2022) quit the Congress after a 46-year association and expressed that the party has lost touch with the ground.

Kumar sent his resignation to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and became the latest leader to quit due to dissatisfaction with the party leadership.

"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," the former Rajya Sabha MP said in his resignation letter.

"I am accordingly quitting the party after a long association of 46 years and hope to proactively pursue public causes inspired by the idea of transformative leadership, based on the dignitarian promise of a liberal democracy envisioned by our freedom fighters," he added.

My letter to, AICC President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi Ji pic.twitter.com/Ug8Ruxwkki

— Dr Ashwani Kumar (@DrAshwani_Kumar) February 15, 2022

Kumar told PTI news agency that the grand old party had lost touch with the ground reality and no longer reflected the national mood.

He also said there was a lack of inspirational leadership and debilitating processes of internal functioning.

Congress is losing in Punjab

Ashwani Kumar, who left Congress in the midst of assembly polls in five states and ahead of the election in Punjab, the state he represented in Rajya Sabha twice earlier, claimed that the party is going to lose in the February 20 Assembly polls.

"I have been involved in the work of party organisation in the campaign of Punjab for many weeks and from what I have seen on the ground, it seems that the Aam Aadmi Party is moving ahead there with a huge majority," he told IANS.

He also targetted Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and said that apart from two-three leaders, no one has done anything for the party. 

"Channi says he is from a poor family, then how come he has Rs 10-12 crore in his house. So the definition of poverty has changed in the eyes of Congress, especially for Channi," he said. 

"Congress is being made fun of in Punjab. Apart from two-three leaders, no one has done anything for the party. It is beyond my understanding how such an old party will move forward in such circumstances. As far as I understand, Congress is losing elections in Punjab and Aam Aadmi Party is winning hands down," Kumar added.

It is to be noted that Congress has seen a spate of resignations, the most recent being that of another former union minister RPN Singh. Other prominent leaders to quit the party in the recent past include Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada, Sushmita Dev and Luizinho Faleiro.

(With agency inputs)