RPN Singh resigns from INC to begin a new political chapter

RPN Singh, a former Union minister, submitted his resignation from the Congress’ primary membership to Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Singh, who served in the 15th Lok Sabha as a member of Parliament from the Kushinagar seat, posted his resignation letter on social media.

RPN Singh, a resident of Kushinagar in eastern Uttar Pradesh, was one of the party’s most powerful leaders in the state and was recently named to the party’s list of star campaigners.

“I begin a new chapter in my political career today, as we celebrate the foundation of our great Republic. Thank you for your support “He shared his brief note in a letter, which he tweeted.

Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind pic.twitter.com/O4jWyL0YDC

Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind pic.twitter.com/O4jWyL0YDC

— RPN Singh (@SinghRPN) January 25, 2022

At 3 p.m. today, he is expected to join the BJP and run as a BJP candidate in Padrauna, his stronghold, against Swami Prasad Maurya, who recently deserted the party and joined the Samajwadi Party. RPN Singh has served in the Padrauna Legislative Assembly for three terms. In 2009, he was elected as an MP for Kushinagar, however he was defeated in 2014.

Swami Prasad Maurya has won the Padrauna seat in the last two state elections, first as a candidate of Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and then as a candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Will his departure impact the outcome of Congress?

Given that he is not a pan-Uttar Pradesh leader and his sphere of influence is limited to the Kushi Nagar Lok Sabha constituency, which is adjacent to Gorakhpur, which he represented in 2009, his departure from the grand old party will have minimal electoral impact. His former Assembly seat of Padrauna, which he held three times between 1996 and 2009, is now part of the Kushi Nagar constituency.

Singh’s resignation is politically damaging to the Congress because he is seen as one of the party’s Generation Next leaders. Despite his age, he was viewed as one of the figures who will join Rahul Gandhi’s future Congress.

RPN Singh is from the OBC Kurmi caste, and his appointment as AICC in-charge of Jharkhand a few years ago was considered as a hint that the party was shifting its focus to OBC-centric politics. Both Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his counterpart in Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel, are OBCs.