Congress has no place for seniority or loyalty now: Ashwani Kumar

Senior Congress leader Ashwani Kumar, who quit the party after 46 years, has said that the Grand Old Party did not have any place for loyalty and seniority.

"I was feeling hurt and dejected for many days. I felt the Congress party does not have any place for seniority and loyalty. That is why, with a heavy heart, I decided that my way cannot be the way of the Congress," Ashwani told Asianet News.

"Having the political membership of a party means that you serve the country using that as a medium. This had become impossible (in Congress). That is why I distanced myself from the party," he added.

The remarks came on the day when Congress resorted to character assassination and claimed that the former law minister in the United Progressive Alliance had stepped away because he had the ambition of securing a Rajya Sabha seat.

While admitting that there will be an impact whenever anyone leaves the party, Congress leader Manish Tewari said in Ludhiana that it was unfortunate the Ashwani had decided to quit. 

"But there is another aspect to this. The desire for a Rajya Sabha seat can make anyone do the unthinkable" Tewari said.

Ashwani, a former Rajya Sabha member, is considered close to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In his resignation letter to interim party chief Sonia Gandhi, he said that he can best serve India's interests outside the party fold.

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