BHUBANESWAR: In a major blow to the Congress, former chief minister and nine-time MP Giridhar Gamang on Saturday announced his resignation from the party which he served for 43 years alleging humiliation after the trust vote against the Vajpayee government in 1999.
Announcing his resignation at a media conference here, the veteran Congress leader said though he participated in the voting on confidence motion of the Vajpayee government on April 17, 1999 on the direction of the high command, the party did not come to his protection. “I was criticised and humiliated after the trust vote, but the party never protected me,” he said.
“I participated in the trust vote as a Congress MP as I was asked to do so by the chief whip of the Congress in Parliament under the Anti-defection Law and not as the chief minister of Odisha, but the party never clarified the circumstances under which I had to participate” Gamang said.
He claimed that it was not his vote but cross voting by former National Conference member Saifuddin Soz that sealed the fate of Vajpayee Government.
The former chief minister said he resigned from the Congress not to return. Besides, there is also no plan to join any national or regional political party, he said and added that he will devote his time to music, his hobby. Gamang is an expert in playing ‘Changu’, a traditional musical instrument used by tribals of Koraput district.
Gamang, however, said he will consider joining another political party if he gets an invitation. Calling himself a ‘liability’ Gamang said, “Why will any political party take me? I have been accused of defeating the Vajpayee government. Therefore, BJP may not accept me. There is no question of joining any regional party (BJD),” he said.
Replying to a question whether he resigned from Congress due to pressure from his son Sisir, Gamang said there is no such pressure from any member of my family.
Gamang was elected to the Lok Sabha from Koraput in 1972. He won from the constituency eight times in a row. He was again elected in 2004 Lok Sabha polls. But, he lost elections consecutively in 2009 and 2014 polls.
The Congress veteran was a minister under the prime ministership of Indira Gandhi for one year and five years each under Rajiv Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao. In his letter of resignation to party president Sonia Gandhi which was circulated at the media conference, Gamang said, “I feel that my loyalty to the party has turned into a liability”. “Since 1999 I have been humiliated for bringing down the Vajpayee government by one vote, but no party leader has come out with the truth to protect me,” he said.