Cong MP quits party, blames ‘coterie’ around Rahul

Akhilesh Das, who was recently dropped from Union Council of Ministers, said he has 'no faith' in Congress party.

In a jolt to the Congress, its senior leader Akhilesh Das who was recently dropped from the Union Council of Ministers on Tuesday resigned from the party as well as the Rajya Sabha blaming the ‘coterie’ around Rahul Gandhi.

Das, who represented Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha, made a dramatic move in the Upper House, walking up to Chairman Hamid Ansari and handing over his resignation letter as soon as the House met.

“I have no faith in the Congress party,” he said in the House, taking everybody by surprise.

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Later, he told reporters outside Parliament that he had also sent his resignation letter to party President Sonia Gandhi and was feeling ‘relaxed and relieved now’.

Attacking Rahul, he said, “There was a coterie surrounding the ‘yuvraj’ (prince) and if the coterie was not happy with somebody, then that person has to suffer”.

On the reasons behind his move, Das said “I believe there is a caucus which is doing all this. There is a power coterie. It has surrounded Rahulji (Gandhi) and that is unfortunate that only that coterie can have an access to him.” The son of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Banarsi Das, he was the Minister of State for Steel before April’s Cabinet reshuffle. Das’ term as a Member of Parliament was to expire soon.

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