Raj Babbar resigns as UP Cong chief; Jitin Prasad likely to take over

Shahira Naim 

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, March 21

Raj Babbar on Wednesday resigned as UP Congress Committee president. Jitin Prasad is likely to take over.

Both the Congress candidates losing their deposits in Phulpur and Gorakhpur bypolls may be the immediate trigger for Babbar's offer to resign.

But his antagonistic relationship with the Samajawadi Party with which he was associated for a long time, puts him in difficult position to work towards an amicable pre-poll alliance ahead of 2019.

Even in 2016-17, he was not comfortable with the SP-Congress alliance.

With the Congress party's recently articulated soft Hindu line a Brahmin UP state president like Jitin Prasad appears to be more appropriate.

Earlier on Monday, Goa Congress  chief Shantaram Naik resigned from his post. 

New arrangements are being worked out in the Congress, whatever new positions will be given by Party President, we will take them up & work towards 2019: Raj Babbar on his resignation as UP Congress Chief. pic.twitter.com/xHaSx7xpWc

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2018