Former Union Minister RPN Singh resigned from the Congress today, according to reports, and will join the BJP just weeks before the Uttar Pradesh election.
RPN Singh, from Kushinagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh, was a key figure in the Congress’s Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand operations. On Twitter, he posted his resignation letter, which was addressed to Sonia Gandhi.
“Today, as we commemorate the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political career. Thank you very much “He shared his brief letter in his letter.
Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind pic.twitter.com/O4jWyL0YDC
— RPN Singh (@SinghRPN) January 25, 2022
According to reports, Mr Singh may run as a BJP candidate in Padrauna, his stronghold, against Swami Prasad Maurya, who recently left the BJP.
Mr Singh has served three terms as a member of the Padrauna Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the House of Commons in 2009 but was defeated in 2014. Swami Prasad Maurya has won the Padrauna seat in the last two state elections, first as a BSP candidate and then as a BJP candidate.
Mr Singh changed his Twitter bio and removed the word “Congress” earlier today, sparking widespread speculation. “My motto India, First, Always,” reads his bio, which previously stated that he was in charge of the AICC (All India Congress Committee).
This is the second major departure from the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, following Jitin Prasada’s resignation last year. Mr Prasada, a close Rahul Gandhi aide like Mr Singh, joined the BJP and later became a minister in Yogi Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh government.
Over the last two years, the Congress has lost a number of key leaders. The surprise departure of Jyotiraditya Scindia in 2020 was one of the catalysts for a major churn in the party, prompting 23 leaders to write to Sonia Gandhi, requesting “visible and full-time” leadership and collective decision-making.
Sonia Singh is an Indian journalist who serves as the editorial director and president of the news channel NDTV. Sonia Singh oversees the NDTV channel’s ethics committee.
Sonia Singh was born in New Delhi, India on Monday, September 21, 1970 (age 51 as of 2022). She attended the Convent of Jesus and Mary in New Delhi for her education. After finishing her secondary education, she went on to study English Literature at St. Stephens College in Delhi. Following that, she received a three-month scholarship from the Italian government to study Italian in Perugia. She later completed a broadcast journalism course in Cardiff, Wales.