Bengal Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi quits party

Kolkata: Rebel Congress leader and counsel of the Calcutta High Court, Kaustav Bagchi, on Wednesday, announced his resignation from the party.

He said that he has sent copies of his resignation letter to Congress’ national president Mallikarjun Kharge and the party state president in West Bengal Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

The differences between Bagchi and the Congress High Command had surfaced since the party leadership had been initiating alliance dialogues with Trinamool Congress president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A number of times he had also been vocal, demanding immediate withdrawal from the process of alliance talks with West Bengal’s ruling party. He had also been vocal against high-profile lawyer-leaders in Congress namely Abhishek Manu Singhvi and P. Chidambaram holding briefs at different courts on behalf of the West Bengal government and prominent Trinamool Congress leaders.

And now his decision to officially quit the party just before the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls has sparked speculation of his joining BJP. However, Bagchi so far has not made anything clear about his next political move.

In his resignation letter, he said that it was no longer possible for him to stick to the party at the cost of his self- respect. “I shaved my head after I was arrested on baseless charges in the wee hours last year and on the next day I was granted bail. I promised that I will keep my head shaved till the Trinamool Congress regime is ousted from West Bengal. I am still sticking to that promise,” he told media persons after making his announcement of quitting Congress.

From his comment, feel political observers, it is clear that Bagchi has no intention to quit political life and he is expected to announce his next move soon.

“Now many might term me as a traitor. But since the beginning I had been clear on the point that the country’s oldest national party cannot have any understanding with a thoroughly corrupt force like Trinamool Congress. The party high command does not give any importance to the state Congress unit. In such a situation it is impossible for me to continue with the party at the cost of self- respect,” Bagchi said.