After Rahul, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Milind Deora resign from Congress posts

Jyotiraditya Scindia and Milind Deora—two top aides of Rahul Gandhi—resigned from their posts on Sunday close on the heels of Gandhi making his resignation as Congress president public.

Scindia resigned as AICC general secretary (West UP) and Deora as Mumbai Congress Chief.

“Accepting the people’s verdict and taking accountability, I had submitted my resignation as General Secretary of AICC to Shri Rahul Gandhi. 

I thank him for entrusting me with this responsibility and giving me the opportunity to serve our party,” tweeted Scindia. 

Scindia’s resignation comes hours after Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora resigned from his post. 

Deora said he was looking forward to playing a role at the national level to help stabilise the party.

He recommended setting up of a provisional collective leadership comprising three senior Congress leaders to oversee the city party unit till the Maharashtra Assembly polls which are due later this year.

A statement issued by his office on Sunday said taking on the BJP-Shiv Sena and negating the impact of Vanchit Aghadi is a challenge for the Congress in Maharashtra.

Deora expressed his desire to quit shortly after meeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on June 26.

“The same has been conveyed to All India Congress Committee general secretaries Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal,” the statement said.

When contacted, Deora said political realities have changed since the Lok Sabha results. “We all will have to get ready for roles that these times demand,” he said.

Deora was appointed president of the Mumbai Congress on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year.

“I had accepted MRCC presidentship in the interest of uniting the party. I felt I should also resign after meeting Rahul Gandhi,” he said.

Gandhi resigned as Congress president at a CWC meeting on May 25, two days after results of the Lok Sabha elections were declared.

“I have suggested a three-member panel (to oversee the city party unit) and am being consulted by leaders to identify names. I look forward to play a national role to help stabilise the party. Needless to say, I will continue to guide and unite the Mumbai Congress,” Deora said.

Deora contested the Lok Sabha poll from Mumbai-South constituency, but lost to Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant. 

The resignations come a day after Indian Youth Congress chief Keshav Chand Yadav and Congress SC cell chief Nitin Raut resigned.