Kamat has once again tried to impose pressure on Congress leadership by tendering his resignation from all posts from the party.
Senior Congress leader and AICC general secretary Gurudas Kamat has once again surprised everyone by quitting from all posts in the party. Kamat has always been known for tendering his resignation and he has taken this step twice earlier but was reinstated after intervention from senior Congress leadership. According to sources, Kamat is miffed with the Congress for replacing him with of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot as the party’s general secretary in charge for Gujarat. Gujarat will go for assembly polls this year. Since Congress is going through a bad patch after facing defeat in assembly polls it badly is eyeing for a makeover. The party had inducted Gehlot in place of Kamat in Gujarat to give a tough fight to BJP which has been winning several elections.
Kamat nonetheless denied that he is unhappy with Congress’s decision and instead welcomed the party’s decision to take charge of Gujarat. He said, “I welcome the decision of @INCIndia to give charge of Gujarat to Ashok Gehlot and 4 secretaries. Had asked Cong VP to relieve me on 3rd Feb the day Congress list of candidates (for Mumbai civic polls) was declared in Mumbai & again on 21st Feb day of polling.”
When Kamat had earlier tendered his resignation ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal corporation none of the party leaders had come forward to pacify him. Kamat now finds himself isolated within Congress and the party has been giving more prominence to Sanjay Nirupam instead of him. The cold war between Nirupam and Kamat had intensified earlier as activists belonging to both camps had shouted slogans against each other. The Congress leader also had taken a decision to step down from the party last year however he had to reconsider his decision. Kamat’s decision to resign is seen by many as his strategy to impose pressure on the Congress leadership which has been sidelining him of late.
According to sources, “Kamat was upset with Sanjay Nirupam’s elevation as Mumbai Congress Chief as internal strife was hurting the party’s growth in the city. Often there were reports about clashes between Kamat camp and Nirupam camp. Even Nirupam’s close proximity to Rahul Gandhi had hurt Kamat. Kamat has often been issuing threats to resign from the party. Instead of taking the party forward he is only trying to destroy it.”
Gujarat Congress president Bhartsinh Solanki said, “Kamatji did good work when he was in-charge of Gujarat. But the party has taken a decision to appoint Gehlotji and four other secretaries to look after Gujarat affairs,” Solanki said, without giving any reason for Kamat being replaced in the election year.
The Congress party is expecting to give a tough fight to BJP in Gujarat assembly polls as the state doesn’t have a prominent face to take the party forward after Modi’s elevation as Prime Minister.
