Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday resigned from all party positions, including its primary membership, delivering another blow to the embattled party that has seen a series of leaders leave it.

In a five-page letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi that comes ahead of crucial organisational elections in the party, Azad said he does so with a "heavy heart".

The Congress, he said, has lost both the will and the ability under tutelage of the coterie that runs the AICC to fight for what is right for India, Azad, who is part of the G-23 group seeking change in party, said.

Before starting a 'Bharat jodo yatra', the leadership should have undertaken a 'Congress jodo yatra', the veteran leader said in his letter.

Point of no return

The 23 leaders who wrote to point out weaknesses in the party were abused, insulted, humiliated, vilified, Azad said.

At no place have elections been held at any level of organisation, he added while announcing his resignation from the Congress.

The situation in the Congress, he said, has reached a point of no return and now "proxies" are being propped to take over leadership of the party, he said.

Holding the leadership squarely responsible for perpetrating "giant fraud" on the party, Azad said handpicked lieutenants of the AICC were coerced to sign on lists prepared by coterie that runs the organisation.

comment COMMENT NOW