Kapil Sibal quits Congress; files RS nomination with SP support

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal revealed that he has quit the party last week as he filed his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha as an independent candidate on Wednesday (May 25).

Sibal filed the nomination papers with the support of the Samajwadi Party (SP) in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav and SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav. His tenure as a Congress RS member ends in July.

Also read: Party moves on ‘eyes wide shut’, Kapil Sibal slams Congress leadership

“I had resigned from the Congress party on May 16. I am no longer a senior Congress leader,” Sibal told the media after filing his nomination papers.

“I have filed my papers as an independent candidate. It is important to be an independent voice in Parliament. If an independent voice speaks up then people will believe it is not linked to any political party,” he added.

Recently, Sibal had skipped the Congress’ Chintan Shivir in Udaipur.

Also read: More Congress fusillade at Kapil Sibal, this time from Adhir Ranjan

This is another big blow to the Congress which is already seen the exit of several leaders in recent times.

Akhilesh confirmed that Sibal is going to the Rajya Sabha with the support of the SP.

“Today, Kapil Sibal filed nomination. He is going to Rajya Sabha with SP’s support. Two more people can go to the House. Kapil Sibal is a senior lawyer. He has presented his opinions well in the Parliament. We hope he will present opinions of both SP as well as himself,” he said.

Part of ‘G-23’

On Tuesday, SP leader Azam Khan, speaking to the media at his residence in Lucknow, had said he would be “the happiest” if Sibal is nominated to the RS. He also said that it is Sibal’s “right” to be nominated. “Sibal is such a senior personality, he is a very big person and very nice.”

Senior lawyer Sibal was among the Congress’ “G-23” group of dissenters. In March, Sibal, a former Union minister, had called for the Gandhis to move away and give chance to others to lead the grand old party.

“Leadership is in cuckoo land I want a ‘Sab ki Congress’. Some want a ‘Ghar ki Congress’,” Sibal had told Indian Express.

He had also questioned the party after senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was conferred with the Padma Bhushan by the Modi government earlier this year.

Ghulam Nabi Azad conferred Padam Bhushan

Congratulations bhaijan

Ironic that the Congress doesn’t need his services when the nation recognises his contributions to public life

— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) January 26, 2022

Sibal’s future plans

Talking to the newspaper after filing his nomination, he said he did not want to reveal why he left the Congress.

“I have chosen to snap my ties with the Congress for reasons that I do not wish to talk about now. Now that I am not in the Congress party I do not wish to say anything adverse, anything that is inconsistent with the culture of politics that we must embrace. Within the Congress, I could say what I wanted to say. Now that I am not in the Congress I do not wish to criticise anybody in the Congress,” he said.

On his future plans, he said, “My future plans are to unite the opposition to oppose the present BJP dispensation which is following anti-people policies and which is dividing the inclusive culture of India.”