2 Days After Quitting Party, Ajay Yadav Says He Is "Congressman By Birth"

Two days after quitting the Congress party, former Haryana minister Captain Ajay Singh Yadav on Saturday took a U-turn and said he was a "Congressman by birth" and would remain one "till his last breath". Mr Yadav said he was "prevailed upon" by his son and former MLA Chiranjeev Rao to "forget the past" and work for the party.

Mr Yadav quit the party on Thursday alleging shabby treatment after Sonia Gandhi left the post of party president. He also resigned as chairman of the All India Congress Committee's Other Backward Classes (OBC) Department.

In a series of posts on X, the 65-year-old leader said he has served the Congress for 38 years and gave his best to the party. He said his family has had an "association of more than 70 years" with the Nehru-Gandhi clan.

"I worked with my leader late Rajiv Gandhi ji and Sonia Gandhi and cannot forget their affection towards me... I am a Congressman by birth and would remain a Congressman till my last breath," said Mr Yadav.

"I was upset that my hard work done for the OBC department was not being appreciated by the high command and some harsh words made me take this drastic step. But with a cool mind I have decided to strengthen the Congress party, especially my mentor and leader Sonia Gandhi ji," he said in another post.

"I am especially indebted to my leader and mentor Sonia Gandhi ji and can never think of hurting her feelings," he said.

Chiranjeev Rao lost from Rewari in the recently concluded Haryana Assembly polls.

Mr Yadav had earlier said the party should introspect to find the reasons for its failure in southern Haryana, especially Gurugram, Rewari, Mahendragarh and Faridabad where it won just one seat as against 10 by the BJP.

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