Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha Chief Minister and nine-time MP Giridhar Gamang has quit Congress he served for over 43 years.
Announcing his resignation from the Congress alleging humiliation, Gamang said,"I have sent my resignation letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi. Since the time of Vajpayee government's fall due to one vote in 1999, I have been humiliated and lost self respect. Though I voted against the Vajpeyee government in wake of a whip, the party did not come to my rescue at any point of time," Gamang told reporters here.
Stating that he has not decided whether to join any other political party, Gamang said, "There is no question of returning to Congress again after resigning from it."
In his letter to Sonia Gandhi, Gamang said, "With a heavy heart and deep agony, I tender my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress. Please accept my resignation."
Gamang, who was elected from Odisha's Koraput Lok Sabha segment eight times in a row from the 5th Lok Sabha in 1972, said he was again elected to the lower house of Parliament from the same seat in 2004 for the ninth time.
The Congress veteran had also been a Union Minister under the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi for one year and five years each under Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasihma Rao.
However, the 1999 no-confidence motion against the then Vajpayee government became a turning point in his political life, Gamang said.
Gamang claimed that not his but the then National Conference member Saifuddin Soz’s cross-voting sealed its fate.
“It was not my vote which turned the tables against the Vajpayee government but the cross-voting of Prof Saifuddin Soz. The Vajpayee government lost the confidence motion by one vote for the cross-voting of Prof Soz as he had gone against the whip of his party and voted against the motion,” he said.
“On April 17, 1999, there was voting on confidence motion moved by Prime Minister Vajpayee. I was asked by the Chief Whip of the Congress Party in Parliament to attend the House for participation in voting under the anti-defection law,” he said.
The confidence motion was defeated by 269 to 270 votes.
“The fall of the government was triggered by the change of stand by Bahujan Samaj Party which had five members in Lok Sabha. The BSP had earlier declared it would abstain from voting.
However, it voted against the confidence motion. Soz also voted against his party’s whip. However, the six members and the lone member of AIRJP Sri Anand Mohan, who were hitherto with the opposition, voted in support of Vajpayee government,” Gamang recalled.
“I was a member of Lok Sabha from Koraput though I was the Chief Minister of Odisha and was not a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Therefore, I attended and voted, not as a Chief Minister of the state, but as the constitutional right of a Member of Parliament to vote.” “The BJP had no agenda except ‘one’ vote of Gamang which brought down the government during their election campaign and was able to form NDA government with the BJP and allies,” Gamang said.
Announcing his resignation from the Congress alleging humiliation, Gamang said,"I have sent my resignation letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi. Since the time of Vajpayee government's fall due to one vote in 1999, I have been humiliated and lost self respect. Though I voted against the Vajpeyee government in wake of a whip, the party did not come to my rescue at any point of time," Gamang told reporters here.
Stating that he has not decided whether to join any other political party, Gamang said, "There is no question of returning to Congress again after resigning from it."
In his letter to Sonia Gandhi, Gamang said, "With a heavy heart and deep agony, I tender my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress. Please accept my resignation."
Gamang, who was elected from Odisha's Koraput Lok Sabha segment eight times in a row from the 5th Lok Sabha in 1972, said he was again elected to the lower house of Parliament from the same seat in 2004 for the ninth time.
The Congress veteran had also been a Union Minister under the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi for one year and five years each under Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasihma Rao.
However, the 1999 no-confidence motion against the then Vajpayee government became a turning point in his political life, Gamang said.
Gamang claimed that not his but the then National Conference member Saifuddin Soz’s cross-voting sealed its fate.
“It was not my vote which turned the tables against the Vajpayee government but the cross-voting of Prof Saifuddin Soz. The Vajpayee government lost the confidence motion by one vote for the cross-voting of Prof Soz as he had gone against the whip of his party and voted against the motion,” he said.
“On April 17, 1999, there was voting on confidence motion moved by Prime Minister Vajpayee. I was asked by the Chief Whip of the Congress Party in Parliament to attend the House for participation in voting under the anti-defection law,” he said.
The confidence motion was defeated by 269 to 270 votes.
“The fall of the government was triggered by the change of stand by Bahujan Samaj Party which had five members in Lok Sabha. The BSP had earlier declared it would abstain from voting.
However, it voted against the confidence motion. Soz also voted against his party’s whip. However, the six members and the lone member of AIRJP Sri Anand Mohan, who were hitherto with the opposition, voted in support of Vajpayee government,” Gamang recalled.
“I was a member of Lok Sabha from Koraput though I was the Chief Minister of Odisha and was not a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Therefore, I attended and voted, not as a Chief Minister of the state, but as the constitutional right of a Member of Parliament to vote.” “The BJP had no agenda except ‘one’ vote of Gamang which brought down the government during their election campaign and was able to form NDA government with the BJP and allies,” Gamang said.
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