AK Antony to hang boots after 52 years, won’t seek RS re-election

New Delhi, March 9

Former defence minister and Congress veteran AK Antony is all set to hang his boots after 52 years in active politics.

Antony, 81, said on Wednesday he would not seek reelection once his Rajya Sabha term ends in April this year.

He said he had a few months ago written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi informing her of his decision to step aside.

A former chief minister of Kerala, Antony currently heads the Congress Party’s disciplinary committee and is also part of the party’s core committee.

Antony was defence minister in the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government between 2004 and 2014. He started out as an MLA in Kerala in 1970 and was chief minister of the state thrice in 1977, 1995 and 2001. Antony has been a Rajya Sabha MP five times starting 1985.

“I had long been thinking of my tenure in parliamentary politics and I reached the conclusion that time had come for me to end my journey in electoral politics. I will be leaving Delhi for Thiruvananthapuram in April. I have already conveyed my mind to Sonia ji,” Antony said.

Elections to three Rajya Sabha seats in Kerala will be held on March 31.