Express News Service
LUCKNOW: Minutes after filing his nomination as an independent candidate supported by Samajwadi Party (SP) in Lucknow for a fresh term in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader Kapil Sibal claimed that he had resigned from his parent party on May 16 as he wanted to have an “independent voice” in the country.
A vocal critic of the Congress leadership and a prominent member of the G-23 group, Sibal has been a votary of overhaul in the grand old party. As per sources, Sibal is unlikely to join the SP but will remain an associated member. Sibal was supported by the SP for his previous tenure in Rajya Sabha. His current tenure ends in July.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Sibal landed in Lucknow and met SP president Akhilesh Yadav before proceeding to file the nomination papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls. UP will send 11 of the 57 members to be elected to the Upper House on June 10.
“I had tendered my resignation from the Congress party on May 16,” he said after filing his nomination for Rajya Sabha elections in the presence of the SP chief in Lucknow. “I have filed nomination as an independent candidate. I have always wanted to be an independent voice in the country.
While staying in the Opposition we want to create an alliance so that we can take on the Narendra Modi government,” he added. However, the veteran advocate and politician refrained from commenting anything on the Congress and summarised his pain just by saying that it was not easy to end a relationship of more than 30 years.
Speaking on Sibal’s nomination, Akhilesh Yadav said: “Kapil Sibal has filed nomination. He is going to Rajya Sabha with SP’s support. He has presented his opinions well in the Parliament. We hope he will present opinions of both SP as well as himself.” Sibal had represented senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in the Supreme Court in a cheating case and helped him in securing the interim bail.
