Former Odisha CM Giridhar Gamang quits Congress

Gamang's son says the leader will join a national party soon

Former Odisha chief minister, nine time MP and veteran tribal leader Giridhar Gamang today quit the Congress, snapping his 43-year-old association with the party.

Gamang's resignation from the primary membership of the party capped nearly a month of high voltage political drama.

"I announce my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress with immediate effect. I have taken the decision as I have been thoroughly humiliated by the party leadership," he said at a press conference here.

"Since 1999, I have been humiliated in public for bringing down the Vajpayee government with my vote. Till today, neither any party nor any leaders have come out with the truth and protected me from public criticism. I feel my loyalty to the party has turned into a liability for the party", he added.

Gamang ruled out the possibility of joining another political party though his elder son Sisir dropped hints of the seasoned leader joining a national party in the near future.

He denied any possibility his comeback to the Congress though he maintained that he was not taking any sabbatical from politics.

Commenting on Gamang's resignation, Prasad Harichandan, president of the state unit of Congress said, "He has resigned from the party under pressure. The Congress never humiliated him. He got elected to the Lok Sabha on nine occasions and also served twice as Union minister."

Gamang served as the chief minister of Odisha from February 17, 1999 to December 6, 1999. He got elected from the Koraput Lok Sabha seat for the first time in 1972 and looked invincible from the constituency till Jayaram Pangi of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) dislodged him at the 2009 polls.