Huge blow to UP Congress as two key leaders resign, slam top leadership

In a huge setback to Congress, two senior party leaders - Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Ankit Singh Parihar and former MP from Unnao district Annu Tandon - quit the party on Thursday.

Attacking the top Congress leadership, the leaders alleged that the party's ideological structure has changed since Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the state in-charge.

Addressed to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Parihar's resignation letter took a veiled dig at her.

"For the past almost a year, since you came as in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, the Congress party in the state has been isolated from its ideology and core principles. Personally, the aim of my politics is above post, prestige and it is more ideological and idealistic," the letter read.

Tandon also blamed "misalignment between the state-level leadership" for her decision to leave the party.

"Today, I have submitted my resignation from the Indian National Congress. My statement with regard to this is being shared by me. Need love and blessings of all my well-wishers," she tweeted along with a public statement highlighting the reason behind her resignation.

"Unfortunately, there is a misalignment between the state-level leadership and me. I do not see their support in allowing me to work over the past several months. The loss I faced in the 2019 election was not as painful as seeing the party organisation disintegrate and decimate itself since then," she said.

"In the past few months, I have also spoken to other senior leaders in the party, of the state and Centre, all of whom are equally perplexed and helpless at the affairs," she added.