DEHRADUN: Laxmi Rana, a close confidante of senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, who has previously contested elections on a Congress ticket from Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand, has resigned from the Congress party. She has been a member of the party for the past 27 years.
Rana who tendered her resignation from the Congress party on Saturday, becomes the fourth prominent leader to depart from the party in the state over the past two weeks.
Before Laxmi's exit, Manish Khanduri, the son of former chief minister Bhuwan Chand Khanduri, former Chairman of the Other Backward Classes Commission Ashok Verma, and former Congress MLA Shailendra Rawat had also severed their connections with the Congress, along with their respective supporters.
Speaking to TNIE, Ashok Verma refrained from harshly criticizing the Congress, instead stating, "I believe that the future of our nation is secure under the leadership of Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party." Having dedicated four decades to serving as a diligent leader within the Congress in Uttarakhand, Verma's departure marks a significant shift in his political allegiance.
On the other hand, while tendering her resignation, Lakshmi Rana expressed her anguish in a letter sent to the party president, mentioning her various responsibilities within the Congress.
She wrote, "Due to political animosity towards my family and organization, there was an ED raid conducted at my residence and establishment. Although I understand this is a legal procedure, there has been no response from the party regarding the politically motivated actions taken against me, and no leader from the Congress stood by me for assistance."
After resigning from the Congress, Manish Khanduri expressed his gratitude towards select Congress leaders in the state, and subsequently joined the BJP.
The main driving force behind Manish's joining the BJP was his sister Ritu Bhushan Khanduri, who is also the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.