Congress Veteran Moinul Haque Quits Party, Likely To Join Trinamool

State Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that it is Haque's personal choice to resign from the party.

File photo of Congress Leader Moinul Haque.

(Photo: IANS)

In a major setback for Congress, senior West Bengal leader and five-time MLA, Moinul Haque has sent his resignation to the party high command, and is likely to join the ruling Trinamool Congress soon.

In his resignation letter sent to interim party chief Sonia Gandhi, he wrote: "I respectfully convey that I hereby submit my resignation from the post of Secretary, All India Congress Committee."

Expressing his gratitude for the opportunity given to him by the party and thanking Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for their cooperation, the five-time MLA from Farakka in Murshidabad also said he would like to resign from the party's primary membership.

Asked about Haque's resignation, state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said: "It is his personal choice and I have nothing to say on this."

Considered to be close to Chowdhury, Haque's resignation is surely a huge blow to the Congress just before the Jangipur by-election on 30 September.

Congress managed to hold on to the seat even in the midst of Trinamool storm in 2016 but the exit of Haque will definitely weaken the party in Murshidabad.

Speculations are rife that Haque is likely to join Trinamool Congress on 23 September when party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee comes to Jangipur for the election campaign.

Though Haque was not reachable, the Trinamool said that Haque joining the party is only a matter of time.

"Abhishek Banerjee is coming here on the 23rd. Moinul Haque, a former Congress MLA from Farakka, will join... Not only him, but several other Congress workers will join our party on that day," a senior Trinamool district leader said.

(Published in arrangement with IANS)