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Chandigarh, Nov 2 (IANS) In a scathing attack on the Congress leadership in Haryana, senior leader of the grand old party and six-time MLA Sampat Singh has announced his resignation from the Indian National Congress (INC), accusing the party of becoming “a family-run private enterprise” and a “complete breakdown of internal democracy and accountability”.
In a detailed letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the former Haryana cabinet minister and former leader of opposition in the Haryana Assembly said he has “no confidence in the party’s ability to represent the interests of the people of Haryana.”
Sampat Singh said he has formally sent his resignation to the party’s central leadership and sent copies of it to party MP Rahul Gandhi, other senior party leaders KC Venugopal, BK Hariprasad and Haryana unit Congress chief Rao Narendra.
Referring to his long political journey, the veteran leader recalled joining the Congress in 2009 after decades in public life, which included two stints as a cabinet minister and one as leader of the opposition.
He said that despite his proven electoral record – having been elected five consecutive times from Fatehabad before being shifted to Nalwa on the instructions of the Congress – he was denied a ministerial post or organizational responsibilities after his 2009 victory.
He said that internal manipulation and factionalism within the party has weakened both him and the organization.
He claimed that his proximity to Kumari Shailaja and the development work sanctioned for her constituency led to his isolation within the party.
Singh also said that consecutive elections in Haryana show that Congress has paid the price for sidelining loyal and capable leaders.
Giving examples, Sampat Singh pointed out that the state leadership had sidelined stalwarts like Kumari Shailaja, Kiran Choudhary, Shruti Choudhary and Savitri Jindal, preferring “dynastic politics and money power”.
He also criticized the 2020 Rajya Sabha nomination process, where the “son of a leader” was chosen over qualified candidates from Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes.
Listing a series of prominent leaders who were “humiliated and forced to leave the party”, he mentioned a number of prominent names – many of whom later joined the BJP and rose to senior positions.
The former minister said Rahul Gandhi’s public admission after the 2024 Assembly defeat – that the state leadership had put personal interest above the party – was also not rectified.
“There is no accountability for electoral defeat or internal subversion. Competence has been replaced by rigging,” he said.
Calling the 2024 assembly results a “case study in self-destruction”, he said that despite strong pre-poll projections, the Congress failed due to arrogance and internal betrayals.
“The Dalit community, which had supported Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, has distanced itself after the alleged insult to Kumari Shailaja.”
Sampat Singh’s letter concluded, “I am committed to the people of Haryana, but I can no longer be a part of a system that has lost its moral and political balance.” He said his resignation was “a painful but necessary decision.”
–IANS
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