UP Congress hit by exit of two more senior leaders

Muzaffarnagar: In yet another big set back to the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi's advisor former MLA Harendra Malik and vice-president Pankaj Malik have quit the party. According to sources, the father-son duo is expected to join the Samajwadi Party and is said to have a vote-base in western UP.

Pankaj Malik is the second vice president to quit the party after Lalitesh Pati Tripathi.

Pankaj Malik, also a former MLA, released to the media a letter he has sent to the state Congress president, resigning from the primary membership of the Congress.

The development came on a day Priyanka Gandhi announced that the Congress will give 40 per cent tickets to women in the coming UP assembly elections.

At a press conference held in Muzaffarnagar, senior Congress leader and former MP Harendra Malik also announced his decision to leave the party.

He said that he has not yet taken the decision of joining any other political party but sources said that the father and son were heading towards Samajwadi Party.

After resigning from the Congress party, while speaking to the media, Harendra accused people close to Priyanka of hijacking the party. Priyanka was to start the Pratigya Yatra from Saharanpur from October 17. But this program could not start due to lack of support from the Congress leaders of the area. Meanwhile, speculations were already rife about Congress leader Imran Masood also switching over to SP before 2022 elections. Masood had recently given a statement in favour of SP and said that only Samajwadi Party can defeat BJP in UP.