Veteran Congress leader Gamang quits party

Bhubaneswar, May 30

Former Odisha Chief Minister and nine-time MP Giridhar Gamang today announced his resignation from the Congress alleging humiliation by the party which he served for over 43 years.

"I have sent my resignation letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi. Since the time of Vajpayee government's fall due to one vote in 1999, I have been humiliated and lost self respect. Though I voted against the Vajpeyee government in wake of a whip, the party did not come to my rescue at any point of time," Gamang told reporters here.

Stating that he has not decided whether to join any other political party, Gamang said, "There is no question of returning to Congress again after resigning from it."                

In his letter to Sonia Gandhi, Gamang said, "With a heavy heart and deep agony, I tender my resignation from the primary membership of the Congress. Please accept my resignation."

Gamang, who was elected from Odisha's Koraput Lok Sabha segment eight times in a row from the 5th Lok Sabha in 1972, said he was again elected to the lower house of Parliament from the same seat in 2004 for the ninth time.

The Congress veteran had also been a Union Minister under the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi for one year and five years each under Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasihma Rao.

However, the 1999 no-confidence motion against the then Vajpayee government became a turning point in his political life, Gamang said.

Gamang claimed that not his but the then National Conference member Saifuddin Soz’s cross-voting sealed its fate.

“It was not my vote which turned the tables against the Vajpayee government but the cross-voting of Prof Saifuddin Soz. The Vajpayee government lost the confidence motion by one vote for the cross-voting of Prof Soz as he had gone against the whip of his party and voted against the motion,” he said.

“On April 17, 1999, there was voting on confidence motion moved by Prime Minister Vajpayee. I was asked by the Chief Whip of the Congress Party in Parliament to attend the House for participation in voting under the anti-defection law,” he said.

The confidence motion was defeated by 269 to 270 votes.

“The fall of the government was triggered by the change of stand by Bahujan Samaj Party which had five members in Lok Sabha. The BSP had earlier declared it would abstain from voting.

However, it voted against the confidence motion. Soz also voted against his party’s whip. However, the six members and the lone member of AIRJP Sri Anand Mohan, who were hitherto with the opposition, voted in support of Vajpayee government,” Gamang recalled.

“I was a member of Lok Sabha from Koraput though I was the Chief Minister of Odisha and was not a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly. Therefore, I attended and voted, not as a Chief Minister of the state, but as the constitutional right of a Member of Parliament to vote.” “The BJP had no agenda except ‘one’ vote of Gamang which brought down the government during their election campaign and was able to form NDA government with the BJP and allies,” Gamang said.

“Since that time till today, I have been humiliated and suffered and have lost self respect, discussed and debated in public during every subsequent elections due to the Congress Party, which has never come out with the truth of the voting in the confidence motion in the Lok Sabha in 1999,” he said.

Asked whether he will join any political party now, he called himself a "liability". "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 would float his new party, the prominent tribal leader said, "No. I will have my music party." Gamang is an expert in playing "Changu", a traditional musical instrument used by tribals of Koraput district. PTI